Chandigarh, November 10, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA Dinesh Chadha on Tuesday accused the Congress leadership of protecting individuals allegedly linked to illegal mining in Punjab. He demanded a CBI probe into the business dealings, financial transactions and sources of wealth of Congress leader Barinder Singh Dhillon.
Addressing a press conference, Chadha also questioned the Congress leadership’s silence over the alleged assault on Dalit leader Ranjit Singh Tarkhan Majra at Congress Bhawan in Chandigarh. He pointed out that members of the Scheduled Caste community were protesting while Dhillon, whom he accused of being involved in the controversy, was sharing the stage at Rahul Gandhi’s rally.
“The contrast is stark: the Scheduled Caste (SC) community is out on the streets, while the leader accused of assaulting a member of this community is sharing the stage at Rahul Gandhi’s rally. Congress talks about ‘Mohabbat Ki Dukaan’, but inside it is ‘Mafia Da Samaan’,” Chadha said.
The AAP MLA questioned how Dhillon, whom he described as 29 years old, had become associated with a 60-acre mining site and accumulated substantial wealth. He alleged that Dhillon entered the contracting business in 2013 and had financial partnerships with major mining contractors in Punjab between 2013 and 2022.
Referring to Dhillon’s 2017 election affidavit, Chadha claimed it disclosed financial transactions and investments involving several mining contractors. He named Ashok Chandak, Babu Ram Sharma, S.S. Sandhu, Kanwar Maheep Singh, East Midland Enterprises, Avneet Kumar, Mohan Pal Singh, Manpreet Singh, Mubarakpur Royalty Company, Sukhpal Singh Sukhi, Vikram Singh, Ashish Kumar, Avtar Singh and Company, J.S. Grover, A.S. Dhillon, N.S. Contractor, Ranjit Singh, N.S.C.O. and S.J. Singh.
Chadha alleged that some contractors linked to these business interests had faced penalties worth hundreds of crores, including a Rs 650-crore penalty imposed by the National Green Tribunal in one case. He also recalled his own opposition to the alleged collection of ‘gunda tax’ in Ropar in 2014, claiming that an attempt-to-murder case under Section 307 was subsequently registered against him in retaliation.
Questioning why Dhillon continued as Congress halqa in-charge of Ropar despite losing two elections, Chadha alleged that the party had brought such individuals into politics to protect its alleged mining network. He asked Rahul Gandhi and Punjab Congress president Pargat Singh to explain the party’s position on the matter.
Chadha demanded a CBI investigation into Dhillon’s alleged mining businesses, financial transactions and sources of wealth. He also sought accountability from the Congress leadership over the alleged assault on the Dalit leader and the party’s response to the controversy.
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