Chandigarh, Oct 28 Punjab BJP president Kewal Singh Dhillon on Wednesday accused the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government of creating “emergency-like” conditions in the state, alleging that it was using force against people to cover up its failures in tackling drug abuse.
Reacting to the Mansa incident, Dhillon condemned the alleged police action against the family of a youth, Daljit, who died following drug abuse in Bhamme Kalan, and others who were demanding justice.
He alleged that the deceased youth’s body was dragged on roads, Sikh men’s turbans and kakars were disrespected, journalists were mistreated, and peaceful protesters were forcibly removed.
Several people were also taken into custody, he claimed.
Dhillon said the AAP government failed to curb drug abuse, with young people continuing to fall victim to the menace.
“The government that came to power promising change has crossed all limits of repression,” he said.
Tension prevailed in Mansa on Tuesday as police took away Daljit’s body when his family was sitting on a dharna and was intending to carry it to the site where slain anti-drug activist Parvinder Singh Jhota’s family was holding a protest.
On Tuesday, Mansa Senior Superintendent of Police Vaibhav Choudhary claimed that Daljit’s body was thrown by someone on the roadside and three main accused had been rounded up.
Daljit’s family had held a dharna and wanted to take his body to Mansa, where Jhota’s family and others were staging a protest demanding justice.
As protesters blocked a road, police used mild force, claiming that several mischievous elements had joined the group and were trying to disturb law and order.
Visuals of police lifting Daljit’s body and carrying it across a road divider before pushing it into a vehicle were shared by several opposition leaders on their social media handles.
Police had also detained several protesters, including Waris Punjab de leader Lakha Singh Sidhana and a woman activist.
Officials on Wednesday said an FIR for attempt to murder has been registered in connection with an alleged attack on a police team on Tuesday.
Two weeks after anti-drug activist Jhota was shot dead in Mansa town, his family has refused to allow a post-mortem until their various demands, including Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s resignation, are met.
(PTI News)
