Cong MLA and 55 supporters released from judicial custody

Kapurthala, Apr 21 (UNI) Police today discharged with a warning the Bholath Congress MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira and 55 Congress workers who were arrested on the apprehension of breach of peace for creating hurdles in the lifting of wheat stocks from procurement centre at village Lakhan ke Padda on April 19.

SDM Gurpreet Singh Khera warned the released Congress workers not to create any hurdles and law and order problem in the lifting of wheat stocks at the procurement centre at Lakhan ke Padda again.

The SDM, when contacted, said the situation at Lakhan ke Padda procurement centre had now eased and lifting of wheat stock was going on smoothly, there was no need to keep the MLA and Congress workers in the judicial custody and accordingly, it was decided to discharge them, he added.

After his release, Sukhpal Singh Khaira thanked all the workers and local Congress leaders for ''supporting him for the cause of truck operators of Nadala who were struggling for their livelihood''.

Addressing a large number of supporters gathered here, Mr Khaira exhorted them to get ready to fight against the ''vendetta politics ' of the SAD-BJP government which, he alleged, had ''unleashed a reign of terror on the Congress workers by implicating them in the false criminal cases''.

Talking to mediapersons, Mr Khaira also expressed his displeasure over the role of senior Congress leaders in the state, including PPCC President Shamsher Singh Dullo, for ''not visiting Kapurthala to look into the episode for failing to take a stand against the vindictive attitude adopted by the SAD-BJP government against the Congress workers''.

UNI