As Panjab Govt. Protects Liquor Baron, over 20K Teachers Await Salaries

Even as AAP leaders are in jail over the alleged liquor scam, a team of Panjab Police has been deployed at the Delhi residence of former Panjab MLA and liquor baron Deep Malhotra for his protection. On 3 Dec 2023, gangsters allegedly opened fire in front of Malhotra’s residence in Delhi. Two shooters linked to the Goldy Brar-Lawrence Bishnoi gang involved in extortion were arrested in connection with the incident. But the over-three-month-long police cover by the Panjab Police also points to Malhotra’s indirect connection with the alleged Delhi liquor policy scam being probed by Indian agencies. Malhotra, a former SAD (Badal) legislator, made headlines in Feb 2023 after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested his son in the Delhi excise policy case. Malhotra owned Zira-based Malbros International Private Limited distillery, which was in news all of 2023 due to neighboring villagers’ protests over air, water, and land pollution. Despite govt. effort to discredit protestors, fake reports, and pushing media to not report the protest, in Jan 2023 the Panjab CM ordered the closure of the factory. The case demanding complete closure of the distillery is ongoing in the National Green Tribunal. On the other hand, as March ends, over 20,000 primary school teachers posted in various districts of Panjab are yet to get their salary for February. Both factions of the Democratic Teachers’ Front (DTF) in the state have pressed the govt. for immediate action in this regard. Democratic Teachers’ Front (Sharma) chief Digvijay Pal Sharma said primary teachers in many blocks are yet to receive their salaries, including in Amritsar, Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Sangrur, and Ferozepur.