Channi, Randhawa hatched conspiracy against me, alleges Majithia

Shiromani Akali Dal leader Bikram Singh Majithia on Tuesday accused Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi and deputy CM Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa of hatching a conspiracy against him and dubbed registration of case against him as 'political vendetta.'

Majithia on Tuesday made a public appearance for the first time since filing of a case against him in December as he paid obeisance at a gurdwara in Panchkula.

The Punjab and Haryana high court had on Monday granted him an anticipatory bail in the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act case filed against him.

He was also directed to join the investigation with the police on Wednesday.

The former Punjab minister has been asked not to leave the country till the next date of hearing.

Addressing the media in Chandigarh, Majithia alleged that several police officers were coerced, threatened, and lured with promotion to register the FIR against him.

“One officer told me that they were offered money for registering a case against me,” claimed Majithia.

Majithia said Punjab getting three director generals of police changed in four months was something that was never heard of before in the state.

“Everything under the sun which the government could do, it did,” he said.

There were officers who stood by the truth despite the fact that the government tried everything, he said.

“I have always submitted myself to the law and like a law abiding citizen. I have always followed the due process,” he said.

“Truth always prevails. It is not easy to fight the government when there are mala fide intentions. Though some officers recused themselves, in every meeting, Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi and deputy Chief Minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa hatched every type of conspiracy against me,” he said.

“My stand is absolutely the same and very clear that it is settling political scores. It is vendetta politics. This is keeping all laws on one side to save their chair. You have seen the state of affairs in the Congress,” said Majithia.

He said he will join the investigation on Wednesday.

On the lookout notice issued earlier against him, Majithia said it was all drama and asserted he never went anywhere. Applying for anticipatory bail is everybody's right, he also added.

Commenting on the voices within the party suggesting he should contest against Punjab Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu from Amritsar East seat, Majithia said he will abide by whatever the party says.

Asked if he is ready to fight against Sidhu, he said he will respond when the time comes.

He said leaders from rival Congress, BJP and AAP called his family members and termed the case against him “unjustified”.

Majithia was spotted wearing a yellow turban and jeans at the Nada Sahib gurdwara about 20 km from Chandigarh.

“When I paid obeisance at Nada Sahib gurdwara, many elderly men and women hugged me out of sheer love. I am speechless, I cannot say how much love I have got from people,” he said.

The 46-year-old Akali leader was booked December 20 last year under the NDPS Act on the basis of a 2018 report of a probe into the drug racket in Punjab.

The report was filed by anti-drug special task force chief Harpreet Singh Sidhu in the Punjab and Haryana high court in 2018.

Despite the police conducting raids, Majithia could not be arrested.

Majithia is the brother-in-law of Sukhbir Singh Badal and the brother of former Union minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal.