Not dope test, carry out ED's income test on Punjab politicians to unravel money trail with drug sellers, says BJP state chief Sunil Jakhar

Time of India

a day ago

Chandigarh: Punjab BJP chief Sunil Jakhar on Tuesday said to catch drug-sellers, there should be an "income test" of Punjab politicians, starting from party presidents as he challenged chief minister Bhagwant Mann and finance minister Harpal Singh Cheema to send a request to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to investigate the money trail of politicians.
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While replying to a question at a press conference about the political slugfest between Punjab Congress president Amrinder Singh Raja Warring and Cheema over conducting dope tests on politicians, Jakhar said first it was important get an income test of political leaders done by the ED. "I challenge Mann and Cheema to send a request to ED to investigate the money trail of political leaders, beginning with party presidents, from the date they entered politics," Jakhar said.
He emphasised that following the money trail would help catch the sellers of drugs and not merely drug users, who he said were being put in jails. "Sunil Jakhar is saying this because Sunil Jakhar did not take money from drug sellers as an election fund," said the Punjab BJP chief.
He added investigations should focus on leaders' finances over the past five-10 years. "All should be probed from the day they entered politics.
Someone is buying property in the name of their wife, another in the name of their son. Someone is buying property in Goa. Previously, they did not even have a place to stay," Jakhar said.
Without naming anyone, he mentioned that while others had expensive cars, he travelled in a Toyota Innova.
Referring to former chief minister and BJP leader Capt Amarinder Singh's property near Chandigarh and suggesting that it was moderate in scale, Jakhar said while Amarinder's farmhouse was on less than four acres of land, others had properties spread over 9-10 acres in the same area with high concrete walls.
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Jakhar questioned Punjab's AAP-led govt on its war against drugs, saying the deadline given by the govt ended on May 31, and it was ten days past the deadline.
"Has this war ended?" he said.
Alliance talk: 'SAD must stand on its feet'
Responding to a question regarding his recent call for the unity of Akali Dal factions and any likely alliance with SAD again in the 2027 Punjab elections, Jakhar said he made the remarks in an individual capacity as a Punjabi to caution the Akali Dal to preserve its "golden legacy" before someone else occupies it.
He said as Punjab BJP chief, his stance was clear that re-stitching an alliance with SAD could only be a possibility if SAD was "on its feet".
"There is a saying in English, what do you have to offer? The dialogue on any alliance will be only on the principle of what you bring to the table," he added.
Hails PM on 11 years in power
Jakhar, while addressing a press conference to list the 11-year achievements of the BJP-led govt at the Centre under Prime Minister Modi, said, "India has become the 4th largest economy in the world." Lauding the 6.5% growth rate of the country and pointing out that India surpassed Japan to emerge as the fourth largest economy, Jakhar said, "This is no coincidence but absolute commitment to work on policies, principles, and priorities to ensure that decisions which usher in change for the country were taken in the last 11 years.
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