Undue haste by CBI in Khurana case: Sukhbir

Reacting to the arrest of Chief Parliamentary Secretary Raj Khurana and the summons issued by the CBI to Cabinet ministers Manoranjan Kalia and Swarna Ram in an alleged bribery case,Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal said the agency had needlessly embroiled the BJP leaders without any direct evidence. He questioned the “undue haste” shown by the CBI in the episode.

Sukhbir was in Jalalabad on Monday to attend the second phase of Sangat Darshan programmes. He sought from the Centre a special package for the development of border areas so that this sensitive region could be compensated for the lack of industrial development. He also criticised the Congress-led UPA government for not effectively pursuing the demand of the area to open the trade route with Pakistan through Hussainiwala and Fazilka borders. Sukhbir said despite record wheat procurement,Punjab was not being allowed to export wheat to Pakistan and Middle East countries that could benefit.

He held Sangat Darshan programmes at Ladhuka,Mandi Ladhuka,Kirianwali,Singhewala,Jaimalwala and Bahmaniwala for 25 villages of the area. He also laid the foundation stone of a Rs 2-crore bridge on Mandi Ladhuka drain. Prominent among present on the occasion were Irrigation Minister Janmeja Singh Sekhnon,MP Sher Singh Ghubaya,and MLAs Surjit Kumar Jiyani and Gurtej Singh Ghuriana.