Congress MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira appealed to his supporters to assemble at his residence by 7 am, alleging that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government was attempting to demolish a portion of his house without valid grounds or a notice. (Source: FB)The demolition of a gate allegedly installed illegally on a street at Congress MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira’s residence at Ramgarh village in Punjab’s Kapurthala district on Monday morning acquired political colour with his party’s brass and supporters protesting the move and criticising the Punjab government for “political harassment aimed at muzzling Khaira’s criticism of the ruling party”.Before the demolition, Khaira appealed to his supporters to assemble at his residence by 7 am, alleging that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government was attempting to demolish a portion of his house without valid grounds or a notice.In response to his appeal, his supporters gathered at his residence in large numbers and raised slogans against the state government as the authorities removed the alleged unauthorised gate in the presence of the police, the Block Development and Panchayat Officer (BDPO), and Tehsildar Balwinder Singh.Defending the action, DSP Karnail Singh said, “The gate was installed illegally to close the street, and thus, it was removed, and the street was reopened for the general public.”Khaira, MLA from the Bholath constituency, was at his residence and strongly objected to the demolition, alleging that the authorities attempted to demolish a portion of his house without serving a prior notice. He accused the administration of acting under “illegal orders” of Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann.“They were trying to bulldoze my house wall deceitfully. Sufficient space was left on the street to avoid any inconvenience to the public. This is my family property for 50 years,” Khaira said, accusing the state government of “targeting political opponents”.Announcing legal action, Khaira said he would shortly approach the Punjab & Haryana High Court against the illegal demolition of his lawful property, and vowed to take the matter to its logical conclusion and ensure that “all guilty police and civil officials responsible for this unlawful and politically motivated action are brought to justice and punished through due process of law”.Story continues below this adA statement issued in Chandigarh, Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring said, “This is nothing but political harassment by the government. The blatant misuse of power to silence opposition voices is deeply undemocratic and completely unacceptable. If there was any alleged violation, the government should have followed due process and served a proper notice.”Leader of the Opposition in Punjab Partap Singh Bajwa said in a post on X: “Power is temporary, but accountability is permanent. To CM Bhagwant Mann, Arvind Kejriwal and officials following his unjust orders, every act will be remembered. Misuse of authority will not be forgotten.”Congress Jalandhar Cantonment MLA Pargat Singh called the demolition “outright hooliganism” by the Punjab Government and police against Khaira. “The sole objective is clear: to silence the voice of the Opposition.”Congress Jalandhar MP and former Punjab CM Charanjit Singh Channi said in an X post: “I strongly condemn this vindictive action against our Congress leader Sukhpal Singh Khaira. After registering six cases and keeping him in jail for a prolonged period, the government is once again resorting to political harassment. This misuse of power to silence opposition voices is unacceptable.”Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram© The Indian Express Pvt LtdTags:Bhagwant MannSukhpal Singh Khaira