DW BUREAU / chandigarh Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal has condemned the Congress government for trying to repress the voice of the people by registering a case against former chief parliamentary secretary Virsa Singh Valtoha and more than a thousand other persons for protesting against the misdeeds of the liquor mafia which led to more than hundred deaths in Tarn Taran district alone. In a statement here, the SAD President condemned the police action against Mr Valtoha and Bhai Manjit Singh besides youth leader Gaurav Valtoha and around one thousand people who had gheraoed the residence of Congress legislator Sukhpal Singh Bhullar at Mehmoodpura village in Tarn Taran. He said the party would not be cowed down by such repressive tactics. "We will continue to agitate to ensure justice is meted out to the victims of the hooch tragedy." Sukhbir Badal also questioned the double standards of the Congress government on protests being held presently. He said while no action was taken against Congress leaders and workers when they held any protest, the government went out of its way to target Akali workers. Badal said the SAD would intensify its agitation against the perpetrators of the hooch tragedy as well as the liquor mafia in the coming days. He said the Congress government had refused to take any action against Congress legislators who had been named by hooch tragedy victim families. He said even on the administrative front low level officers were being targeted while the former SSP of Tarn Taran ? Dhruv Dahiya, who did not take action against the liquor mafia despite complaints, was rewarded with another plum posting. The SAD President said besides action against the liquor mafia and Congressmen who were running it, strict action was also required against the distilleries from where denatured spirit was released to the mafia. "We will continue to agitate for an independent inquiry into the case and demand the inquiry be handed over to the CBI." Meanwhile, the SAD has welcomed the verdict of the Punjab and Haryana high court ordering a CBI inquiry into the operation of illegal and unauthorized check points near mining sites in Ropar and urged it to extend the inquiry to the entire State saying 'goonda tax' was being levied by the sand mafia from across the State. In a statement here, former minister Dr Daljit Singh Cheema said the high court had decided to order a CBI inquiry keeping in view the exceptional circumstances of the case. He said a report by the Ropar district legal services authority had nailed the lie of the Congress government that no 'goonda tax' was being collected in the district by the sand mafia. He said now it had been proved in court that the Punjab government had tried to mislead the court by stating that there were no illegal check points or barriers in Ropar, a wider inquiry was needed into the entire issue. (editor@dailyworld.in)