PHAGWARA: Senior Congress leader and Bholath MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira on Sunday launched a scathing attack on the Punjab government, accusing it of introducing “bulldozer (Pila-Panja) politics” in the state to crush dissent and silence opposition voices.
Addressing the media, Khaira alleged that a portion of his ancestral house in his native village—where his family has been residing for more than 200 years—was demolished by the district administration under heavy police deployment. He termed the action “illegal, politically motivated and undemocratic, ” claiming that no prior notice was served to him nor was he given any opportunity to present his case before the demolition was carried out.
The Congress leader squarely blamed Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, alleging that the action was executed under his directions and at the behest of AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal. Khaira further alleged that the Kapurthala Senior Superintendent of Police personally supervised the operation and deployed what he described as “brute police force” to carry out the demolition.
Categorically rejecting any allegations of encroachment or illegality, Khaira asserted that he possesses complete documentary evidence establishing lawful ownership of the property. “Not even an inch of my village property is illegal or unauthorized, ” he maintained, adding that the action was nothing but a blatant misuse of administrative machinery for political vendetta.
Lashing out at the AAP government, Khaira accused it of turning Punjab into a “police state.” He cited what he described as a growing pattern of alleged fake encounters, demolition of houses of individuals branded as gangsters or drug peddlers without due legal process, and increasing misuse of police power to intimidate political opponents. Referring to the recent controversy involving alleged misconduct against a farmer linked to BKU (Ugrahan), he said such incidents reflect an alarming trend of “police raj” in the state.
Khaira also claimed that he has been repeatedly targeted with false criminal cases, arrests and imprisonment because of his vocal criticism of what he termed the anti-people policies and governance failures of the AAP administration. Announcing legal recourse, he said he would soon approach the Punjab and Haryana High Court to challenge the demolition and seek accountability for the officials responsible. He vowed to pursue the matter to its logical conclusion and ensure that those found guilty are punished in accordance with law.
Meanwhile, National BJP leader and advocate Sukhminderpal Singh Grewal also condemned the demolition, calling it “sheer vendetta driven by arrogance and blatant abuse of power.” In a strongly worded statement issued from Chandigarh, Grewal said such actions undermine democratic values and reflect a dangerous disregard for the rule of law and basic human dignity.