Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann on Thursday accused opposition parties of politicising the murder of anti-drug activist Parvinder Singh Jhota to serve their vested interests, as the Congress stepped up its attack on his government over the drug menace in the state.
No one involved will be spared.”
Condemning the tragic incident in Mansa, the chief minister said, “Strict action will be taken against everyone responsible.
“Rahul Gandhi Ji, in Punjab, the Mann government is taking strict action against drug traffickers, but your own state president Pargat Singh is standing in support of the drug traffickers. Can’t you see this, or are you deliberately turning a blind eye?” the party wrote. Former Punjab BJP chief Sunil Jakhar accused the AAP government of staging theatrics in the name of combating drugs.
In a statement, the Bathinda MP said even as Punjabis were in grief and were on the roads demanding justice for anti-drug crusader Parminder Singh Jhota, the AAP government was unmoved. Addressing a press conference here, he said alongside its claims of action against drugs, the government must explain what concrete steps it had taken against major trafficking networks and their financial transactions. Chief minister Bhagwant Mann will hold a meeting with senior police officers and district administration officials on Friday to review his government’s anti-drug drive “Yudh Nashean Virudh”, Punjab AAP media in-charge Baltej Pannu said.
The chief minister’s remarks came as leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi criticised the AAP-led Punjab government over the murder, declaring that raising a voice against drug abuse in the state had turned into a death sentence under the Bhagwant Mann administration. In a post on X, AAP hit back at the Congress, alleging that senior Punjab Congress leaders, including Punjab Congress president Pargat Singh, had repeatedly tried to shield suspects and undermine enforcement measures under the guise of political posturing.
