Sukhbir Badal to sit on dharna outside Sonia Gandhi's residence over Punjab hooch tragedy

Shirom Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal said he will sit on a dharna outside Congress president Sonia Gandhi's residence here on August 11 to protest against "the party's involvement in production and pedalling of spurious liquor that killed more than 100 people in Punjab."

The SAD chief said he will demand for the resignation of Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh over the incident and will push for a statement on the issue from top central leaders of the Congress party.

On Friday, the Punjab Chief Minister had said that perpetrators of the hooch tragedy would not be spared at any cost and properties of those responsible would be confiscated.

Singh, who visited Tarn Taran to share his sympathies with the bereaved families hailing from the district, said that perpetrators of the heinous crime would not be spared at any cost and severest of severe action would be taken against them.

The CM said that in order to ensure that culprits get exemplary punishment special prosecution teams would be deputed to vigorously pursue these cases adding "that the properties of those responsible for this unpardonable act be confiscated".

"The perpetrators of this heinous crime deserve no leniency since it is a man-made tragedy," he said.

According to an official release, the Chief Minister also enhanced compensation to the families of victims of hooch tragedy from existing Rs 2 lakh to Rs 5 lakh. The death toll in the hooch tragedy has risen to 121. Singh pointed out that investigations are already underway and Director General of Police (DGP) Dinkar Gupta has been directed to expedite them.

( With inputs from ANI )