Ropar, Oct. 16 -- Former Punjab Chief Minister and Member of Parliament Charanjit Singh Channi visited a mining site in Ropar district late Thursday night, travelling in a tipper truck, alleging that illegal mining was continuing unabated in Punjab. He was accompanied by Congress leader Barinder Singh Dhillon and other party workers.

According to Channi, mining was underway at around 1 am, with Poklane machines excavating sand and long queues of tipper trucks waiting to be loaded. He claimed that people present at the site panicked upon seeing him, and some drivers allegedly fled, leaving behind machinery and other equipment. Channi said he stopped the drivers of some machines and tipper trucks to seek information about the mining operat...