Chandigarh, October 23: The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) on Friday appealed to Punjab Governor Gulab Chand Kataria to dismiss Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, IANS reported. In its memorandum, SAD alleged that the Chief Minister was patronising the drug trade — an allegation made by the party, not an established finding.

Source: IANS via hi INDiA

A party delegation led by SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal also urged the Governor to grant Rs 2 crore compensation to the family of slain anti-drug crusader Parvinder Singh Jhota and a Class-1 (gazetted) job to his widow, IANS reported. Badal said Jhota's wife is a teacher and should be given a gazetted Class-1 job, and that although Jhota's father had not asked for any personal benefit, the state must look after the family.

The delegation called for action against all ministers, legislators and civil and police officials accused of patronising the drug trade and issuing arms licences to drug offenders, according to IANS. It also urged that the ongoing Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into Jhota's murder be expanded to cover the cases of Gulzar Singh of Toor Banjara in Dirba, who, SAD said, named Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema in a dying declaration, and Bikramjit Singh of Hargobindpur Sahib, who was hacked to death for opposing the drug mafia — both points as stated in SAD's memorandum.

Asserting that Chief Minister Mann was responsible for Jhota's murder — SAD's allegation — Badal cited Jhota's father Bhim Singh's statement to the police, in which, according to Badal, Bhim Singh said his son had fallen victim to a politician-police nexus behind the drug trade that was receiving patronage from the top level, including the Chief Minister. Badal added that Bhim Singh had also gone on record to state that his son had told him that Punjab Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav was behind false cases registered against Jhota. These are claims attributed to SAD and to Bhim Singh as reported by IANS; they have not been established as fact.

Alliance door open — except Congress and AAP

After the meeting, Badal said SAD was ready to work together with like-minded parties, but there would be no alliance with Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party, Top Indian News reported. Badal did not directly name the BJP as an alliance partner, and no formal announcement of contesting together has been made by either party, the report said.

Source: Top Indian News

News89, crediting India Today, likewise reported that Badal hinted at a potential rapprochement with former ally BJP, branding Congress and AAP as, in his words, the primary enemies of Punjab, and that the Governor meeting demanded Mann's removal over what SAD described as deteriorating law and order. The report linked the speculation to Union Home Minister Amit Shah's recent assertion that an NDA government will be formed in Punjab after the 2027 elections.

Source: India Today via News89

For the other side, Punjab BJP president Kewal Singh Dhillon has said the party is preparing to contest all 117 Assembly seats, Top Indian News noted, leaving open whether the BJP will fight alone or share seats with an ally. No response from Chief Minister Mann or the AAP to SAD's memorandum was reported in the sources consulted at the time of publishing. Earlier the same day, Mann hit back at Shah's Punjab remarks by saying Gujarat had become the biggest supplier of drugs — a separate exchange already reported by Awaaz Punjab.