Punjab Political Turmoil: Fresh Controversy Erupts As Congress Leader Sukhpal Singh Khaira Booked Again Amid Alliance Uncertainty With AAP

Amidst the ongoing uncertainty surrounding a potential alliance between the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the principal opposition Congress in Punjab for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, fresh controversy brews with the booking of Congress legislator Sukhpal Singh Khaira in another case.

This development comes on the same day he was granted bail in a 2015 drugs case by the Punjab and Haryana High Court, reported Indian Express.

Leader of the opposition Partap Singh Bajwa condemned the move, labeling it as "petty vendetta politics".

He emphasised that the timing, immediately following Khaira's bail, raises questions about the AAP government's motives.

Punjab Congress president Amrinder Singh Raja Warring echoed similar sentiment, describing the recent FIR against Khaira as a manifestation of "vendetta politics".

He stressed that this was not a move towards positive change but rather an act of retaliation.

Khaira's son, Mehtab Singh Khaira, took to social media to express the family's resilience in the face of adversity.

He accused Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann of acting out of "hatred and vindictiveness" and highlighted their determination to continue the fight for Punjab.

The developments surrounding Khaira unfolded on a day when the All India Congress Committee (AICC) held a meeting with state units, general secretaries, and Congress Legislature Party leaders.

This incident also follows Chief Minister Mann seemingly softening his stance on an alliance with Congress in Punjab as part of the INDI Alliance.

However, Punjab Congress leaders clarified that there was no discussion regarding an alliance with AAP during the AICC meeting.

While Congress leaders in Punjab have expressed opposition to an alliance with AAP, former Punjab Congress president Navjot Singh Sidhu has been advocating for it, citing the larger goal of preventing the BJP's return to power at the Centre.