New Delhi - Congress legislator Sukhpal Singh Khaira was apprehended by Punjab Police on Thursday morning following police raids at his residence in Chandigarh at approximately 6:30 a.m. Khaira, who represents Bholath in the state assembly, was taken into custody in connection with a case filed in Jalalabad, Fazilka.

Khaira contended that his arrest was based on a false case filed against him under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act in Jalalabad in 2015, a case for which the Supreme Court had already dismissed the summons issued against him. He asserted, "I am facing persecution like this because of my strong opposition to and exposure of the Bhagwant Mann government, and the chief minister harbors a personal grudge against me."

The entire incident was livestreamed on Khaira's Facebook account, depicting his exchange with the police and his request for them to produce arrest warrants.

Within the Congress party in Punjab, Khaira has been the most outspoken critic of the Bhagwant Mann-led government. Earlier, two cases had been filed against him in Kapurthala district, one for obstructing a public servant from performing his duties and the other relating to issues concerning his family's ancestral land that date back over 50 years. In the latter case, his 71-year-old sister was also charged. Nevertheless, Khaira secured bail in all these cases through legal proceedings.

Following the formation of the INDIA bloc, there had been a noticeable lull in the AAP government in Punjab actively pursuing or criticizing Congress leaders. However, in response to persistent and robust opposition from Punjab Congress leaders, Chief Minister Mann resumed his criticism of them on September 9. He specifically accused Punjab Congress president Raja Warring of amassing wealth during his tenure as the Transport minister. It's noteworthy that this marks the first instance of a Congress leader being arrested since then.

Leader of the opposition in the Punjab assembly, Partap Singh Bajwa, has criticized the manner in which Khaira was apprehended.