Amid rift with CM, Punjab minister claims Congress MP Bajwa 'failed to prove himself'

Lashing out at Congress Rajya Sabha MP Pratap Singh Bajwa, Punjab cabinet minister Balbir Singh Sidhu, on Wednesday, claimed that the MP had not 'proved himself' inspite of the opportunities. Hinting at a rift in Punjab Congress, Sidhu said that the Punjab CM was taking all the right decisions for the government and the party. Bajwa had lashed out at the CM for 'inaction' on the Punjab Hooch tragedy.

Punjab Hooch Tragedy: SAD postpones planned protest outside Sonia Gandhi's residence

Punjab govt withdraws state police security from Cong MP 

On August 8, the Punjab government withdrew state police security from Congress MP Pratap Singh Bajwa after an assessment, concluding that Bajwa had virtually no threat perception and was now getting central security directly accorded by Union Home Ministry. Two Congress MPs-  Pratap Singh Bajwa and Shamsher Singh Dullo had slammed the Capt. Amarinder Singh government over the hooch tragedy which has killed 121. Bajwa had retaliated calling it - 'hitting below the belt'.

Amarinder govt in trouble? Cong MP claims security removal amid Punjab Hooch tragedy row

Punjab Congress seeks action on party MPs

Last week, Punjab Congress wrote to party chief Sonia Gandhi seeking disciplinary action against them. Both Dullo and Bajwa demanded an “impartial and thorough” probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Enforcement Directorate into the illegal liquor business in Punjab. The MPs - who are also ex-party presidents in the state -  alleged that it was the failure of the CM and that the tragedy could have been averted if Singh had acted in their complaints. They have also questioned inaction against govt officials and police, who they allege were involved in the illicit liquor business. 

Punjab Hooch tragedy: Congress govt revokes security to own MP who slammed CM's 'inaction'

Punjab Hooch tragedy

121 people have died in Punjab’s Amritsar, Batala, and Tarn Taran districts since August 5 after consuming spurious liquor. Police stated that Moga-based hand sanitiser manufacturer - Ravinder Singh Anand had allegedly bought three cans of 200 litres each of the spurious liquor at Rs 11,000 a drum from the kingpin - Ludhiana-based paint business owner Rajesh Joshi. Each of these bottles was diluted by 10 percent to make 46 bottles, which was then further diluted by an accused - Balwinder Kaur, by 50% water and sold a bottle of the diluted spirit for Rs 100. Police have identified five businessmen - Gobinder, Ravinder, Darshana Rani, Triveni Chouhan and Harpreet Singh apart from Joshi himself.

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Punjab Police have arrested 54 people - including the father-son duo Harjit Singh and Shamsher Singh - who have been charged with murder. While 887 raids have been conducted since July 31, Punjab Police has launched a departmental inquiry against two deputy superintendents of police and four station house officers have been suspended for negligence. The CM  has announced an ex-gratia of Rs. 2 lakh per victim.