Punjab MLA Khaira's arrest condemnable, it won't affect I.N.D.I.A bloc: Congress

Condemning the arrest of its Punjab MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira in a drug trafficking case, the Congress on Friday said the party would continue to oppose this kind of vendetta politics against the opposition but asserted it would not affect the I.N.D.I.A coalition, of which Punjab's ruling AAP is also a part.

Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate said the MLA's arrest was shameful and smacked of vendetta politics and hoped that some mature and sane voices in the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) would act on it.

"Any assault on free speech and any assault on opposition, which smacks of vendetta politics, must and should be denounced. We absolutely denounce the arrest of Khaira Ji. He is not just our MLA but also the head of Kisan Congress and I do appeal that more sane minds in the Aam Aadmi Party will prevail and will not let unbridled Punjab government act out of vendetta like it has been doing," she told reporters when asked about the arrest.

She said Khaira's arrest 'is condemnable and shameful' and added the Congress will oppose if there is any politics of vendetta against the opposition.

Asked whether it will have an impact on the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (I.N.D.I.A), she said, "I don't think so...nothing will impact the alliance."

She alleged that the kind of autocracy the Punjab Police is carrying out against the opposition is undemocratic.

Asked why more meetings of the opposition alliance were not happening, she said it is wrong to assume that there is no discussion if it is not held in front of the media.

"A lot of discussions are happening on the phone, a lot of discussions have taken place on Zoom calls and on conference calls. It is not necessary to tell everything in the media, when some concrete things are decided then you will definitely come to know," she said.

Congress MLA Khaira was arrested by the Punjab Police Thursday morning in a drug trafficking case of 2015. After his arrest, the MLA from Bholath was produced in a court in Fazilka's Jalalabad and remanded in police custody for two days.

Following his arrest, the Congress lashed out at the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which is in power in Punjab and Delhi.

Delhi Chief Minister and AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal has said, "The Aam Aadmi Party is committed to the I.N.D.I.A bloc. AAP will not part ways from the I.N.D.I.A alliance in any case. We are committed to following the alliance dharma."

He said he heard that the Punjab Police arrested a particular leader in connection with a drug case, but he did not have the details.

"The Bhagwant Mann government is committed, the AAP government is committed to ending the drug menace as it has ruined an entire generation of the youth. You cannot imagine the scale of drugs, but in the fight against drugs, nobody will be spared, no matter how big or small they might be. I would not like to speak on an individual case or against an individual, you will have to seek the details from Punjab Police," Kejriwal said.