Chandigarh, August 3: Lambasting at the Akalis for their dubious role for blatantly accusing Captain Amarinder government for hooch tragedy, the Sports Minister Rana Gurmit Singh Sodhi said it was nothing but pot calling the kettle black as similar incidents had occurred in 2012 and 2016 in Gurdaspur and Batala respectively during their regime.
In a press statement, the Rana Sodhi said that these tragedies too claimed several lives during SAD-BJP alliance government, adding he pointed out that in the Batala case, neither any FIR was registered nor any action taken against the main accused.
Sensing the gravity of matter, the Cabinet Minister stated that Captian Amarinder immediately ordered a magisterial inquiry by a Divisional Commissioner, who has been asked to submit his report within a month. Besides, the Chief Minister also ordered suspension of, and inquiry against, seven Excise & Taxation Officers and Inspectors, along with two DSPs and four SHOs of Punjab Police, in connection with the hooch tragedy, which has so far claimed over 100 lives in the three districts of Tarn Taran, Amritsar Rural and Gurdaspur.
Launching a frontal attack on the SAD President Sukhbir Badal and former Cabinet Minister Bikram Majithia for their theatrics on the entire issue, Rana Sodhi said that everybody knew that by and large people have lost their trust and confidence in their leadership. Moreover, the SAD was on the verge of collapse as its several confidants amongst rank and file, have already joined the SAD (Democratic) led by stalwart Akali leader Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa, as they were feeling suffocated due to their autocratic style of functioning as the patriarch of Shiromani Akali Dal Parkash Singh Badal and his progeny has relegated over a century old political party to a fiefdom.
The Minister shared sympathies with the members of bereaved victim families of this tragedy and avowed that stringent action would be taken against all those involved in the case as the Chief Minister has already warned those indulging in spurious liquor business to close down it immediately or face grave consequences.
