Punjab BJP chief seeks CBI probe into anti-drug activist’s murder, demands CM Mann’s resignation
New Delhi, Oct 14 (IANS) Punjab Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President, Kewal Singh Dhillon, on Wednesday sought a CBI probe into the murder of anti-drug activist Parvinder Singh Jhota by a medical store owner and also demanded the resignation of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann over the law and order situation in the state.
Addressing a press conference, Dhillon stated that Punjab which was once known for its Gurus, Pirs, prophets, warriors, and sportspersons, is unfortunately, today known for ‘Chitta (synthetic drugs)’ and substance abuse.
“There is no law and order in Punjab today; instead, a state of lawlessness—or ‘Jungle Raj’—prevails. Parvinder Singh Jhota was shot dead in Mansa. Hardly a day goes by without a murder taking place. While there are many issues in Punjab, the biggest one is the drug menace. We launched a campaign against this, which was initiated by BJP leader Nitin Nabin,” he said.
The BJP leader mentioned that the campaign against drugs concluded in Jalandhar, an event attended by Home Minister Amit Shah. Addressing a public meeting there, Shah had asserted that only the BJP would eliminate the drug problem from Punjab and had even set a timeframe for it.
Dhillon stated that issues such as drug abuse, gangsterism, and extortion plague Punjab, but the drug menace remains the most critical issue.
“When Parminder Singh Jhota raised his voice against drugs, he was shot dead in public view. Who is responsible for this? Following the murder, his father held the local MLA responsible,” he claimed.
The state BJP chief added that he immediately wrote to the Governor regarding the matter. “We do not trust the Punjab government or the police; therefore, we have demanded a CBI enquiry into the case. We are staging protests across every district of Punjab. Just today, there were reports of a police official being apprehended by the BSF with 20 kg of heroin; he used to be on duty in a VIP convoy,” he alleged
Alleging that Punjab government employees themselves are involved in the drug trade, he questioned who is ultimately responsible for this? “With so many people being killed, the rise of gangsterism, and the breakdown of law and order, the Chief Minister has no right to remain in office and should resign immediately,” Dhillon said.
He alleged that while the AAP government failed to curb the drug menace, “it is busy silencing the voices of the people”.
“No one is safe under the Aam Aadmi Party government. A bank manager was shot in Amritsar, and an encounter took place at a residence today,” alleged.
“Shootings are taking place somewhere or the other every day. The situation is so dire that six police personnel have been shot dead so far,” he stated.
He questioned that if the police force, tasked with protecting the public, is itself unsafe, how can it ensure the safety of the citizens? Referring to killings of ASI Harjit Singh in Amritsar and Sarpanch Navdeep Singh in Tarn Taran, the BJP leader claimed that individuals who raise their voices against the drug trade are being murdered.
He warned that if the Chief Minister is waiting for the Model Code of Conduct to come into force, “the public has vowed not to let him enter their villages after that”.
“People say they are planning to put up signs outside their villages declaring that the Aam Aadmi Party is barred from entry. During our outreach campaign, people told us that our work against drugs was a noble cause and expressed support for the BJP’s commitment to stand with victims of drug abuse. Their families’ accounts were so distressing that even officials present at a press conference were moved to tears,” Dhillon added.
Further, he referred to power outages in the state, saying: “The Aam Aadmi Party is incompetent; they simply blame the Central government for everything.”
–IANS
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