Ludhiana: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday said he never felt so deeply saddened in life as he did while meeting the family members of those who died in incidents linked to Punjab’s drug menace, slamming the AAP government and saying it failed to curb the menace.
Shah was on a daylong visit to Punjab during which he visited Gurdaspur, Sangrur and Mansa, marking his second visit to the poll-bound state in 20 days.
Referring to the Punjab government’s move of handing over the Mansa murder case to the CBI, Shah asked the bhagwant Mann government to hand over two other cases of Sangrur and Gurdaspur to the federal agency for investigation.
After visiting the three places in Punjab, Shah spoke to reporters in Ludhiana, where he once again assured people of Punjab that the drug trade would be eradicated by December 31, 2029.
Shah also attended the ‘Ravan Dahan’ ceremony in Ludhiana on Tuesday evening for Dussehra celebrations.
As the Union home minister called out the AAP government in Punjab over the drug menace, state Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema said Shah must explain what the Centre has done to dismantle drug supply chains operating beyond Punjab’s borders.
Shah said drugs worth Rs 20,000 crore have been seized so far at ports in Gujarat and Maharashtra.
After arriving in Batala earlier in the day, Shah met the family of a 40-year-old man Bikramjit Singh who died in an incident allegedly linked to the drug menace.
From Gurdaspur, the Union home minister headed for Sangrur to meet Gulzar Singh’s family. Later, in Mansa, Shah met the family of anti-drug activist Parvinder Singh Jhota, who was killed last week by a medical store owner.
Speaking to reporters in Ludhiana, he said he had come to Punjab to offer solace to grieving families and added he had no political agenda.
Shah said he had come to remind the AAP government and its leaders that they had promised to eradicate the drug trade within three months of coming to power, but it is growing.
Those who speak against the drug trade are either driven to suicide or killed, the home minister said, attacking the AAP government.
“For the past 30 years, I have been elected as a member of the Lok Sabha and the Vidhan Sabha. As the Union home minister and earlier as the BJP’s president, I have met and consoled the families at various places who lost their kin in tragic incidents,” said Shah.
“Today, I want to tell people of the country, especially Punjab that I have never felt so deeply saddened in life,” he said after meeting the families in Batala, Sangrur and Mansa.
Those affected by the ‘chitta’ (illicit drug) trade had also gathered at the homes of these families, he said.
“The situation of Punjab, which was described by them, shook us,” he said.
“Some lost their sons, some brothers and others their husbands. What answer does the AAP government have for these grieving families?
“Except excuses, I have not heard any answer from them till today,” said Shah, targeting the Mann government over the drug menace.
Shah said even Punjab cops have been caught with drugs. He was apparently pointing towards a police constable, deployed with the state government’s anti-drone system in Tarn Taran, who was held with 15 kg of heroin.
He said that the drug trade, particularly the sale of ‘chitta’, has spread to village after village. “Your government has failed to stop it,” he said.
On the Mann government handing over the Mansa murder case to the CBI, Shah said, “This morning, after celebrating his birthday, Bhagwant Mann ji did one good work by handing over an inquiry to the CBI… I also want to appeal to the chief minister that if your government is unable to handle the situation, hand over the other two cases to the CBI as well. That is what the families of the victims are demanding.”
Shah assured the victim families that he would use every resource at his disposal to ensure justice. If necessary, BJP party workers would also seek the intervention of the high court, he said.
Shah said when he visited Punjab last month, he addressed BJP’s Nasha Mukt rally. Training guns at AAP, he said he had come with an appeal to end the drug menace, instead they levelled accusations against him.
He said even today, he has come to Punjab to offer solace to grieving families and added he had no political agenda.
“But I have been abused and bad words were used,” he said hitting out at AAP.
“I want to tell them that if they derive satisfaction by abusing me, do that, but end the drug trade,” said Shah.
Further attacking AAP, the Union minister said those who talk about freedom of expression in Delhi cannot take even a black flag being shown by a person who had to be hospitalised after being harassed.
The AAP government’s top leaders should feel ashamed, he said.
Notably, Mohanjit Singh, a resident of Sheron village in Sangrur had claimed that he was tortured by the Punjab Police in its custody following his detention after he waved a black flag from the rooftop of a house near the venue of CM Bhagwant Mann’s ‘Lok Milni’ programme on September 2.
