Chandigarh, Oct 16 Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Friday accused the BJP-led Centre of defaming Punjab over drugs instead of checking the supply through Gujarat’s ports, asking Home Minister Amit Shah to take responsibility for the seizure of 3,000 kg of synthetic drugs at Kandla port.
Speaking to reporters in Phillaur after chairing a high-level meeting to review the state government’s anti-drug campaign, ‘Yudh Nashian Virudh’, Mann said his government was taking strict action against smugglers and traffickers, including demolishing properties allegedly built with ill-gotten money.
Senior Superintendents of Police, Deputy Superintendents of Police, DIGs of various police ranges and IGs attended the meeting.
Mann said the state government was strengthening its police force by providing new vehicles and modern equipment to intensify the fight against drugs.
His remarks came amid growing political sparring over the drug problem in poll-bound Punjab, where Assembly elections are due early next year. Political parties, including the BJP, have increasingly highlighted the issue.
Flanked by ministers Harpal Singh Cheema and Aman Arora, the CM was asked to respond to Shah’s remarks on Friday, when the Union Home Minister said Punjab was grappling with a rising threat of drugs, gangsterism and organised crime.
In a post on X, Shah had asked Mann who would ultimately bear responsibility for the safety of Punjab’s people.
He also said the Centre would seek the state government’s response over two incidents — a father allegedly consuming poison under pressure in Dirba and the broad daylight killing of anti-drug activist Parvinder Singh Jhota in Mansa.
Mann said he had already responded to Shah’s post on the social media platform.
In a post in Punjabi, the chief minister referred to the reported seizure of 3,000 kg of ‘chitta’ (synthetic drugs) at Gujarat’s Kandla port and asked the Union Home Minister to focus on his own responsibilities.
“Amit Shah, you should have consulted with your advisors before speaking about me. The BSF (Border Security Force) has jurisdiction over a 50-km range… 3,000 kg of ‘chitta’ (synthetic drugs) are being seized at the Kandla port in Gujarat. Before blaming Bhagwant Mann, take responsibility for your own duties. Do not simply copy-paste tweets drafted for your sycophants,” Mann said in the post.
Speaking to reporters, he questioned the Centre’s handling of drug trafficking from Pakistan and pointed to the BJP’s rule in Gujarat.
“If drugs come from Pakistan, under whom does the BSF come, it is under the Union Home Ministry. If drugs are caught in Gujarat, whose government is in power there, it is BJP. Before blaming others, they should look within,” Mann said.
He also questioned the BJP over the drug problem during the 2007-2017 period, when Punjab was governed by the Shiromani Akali Dal-BJP alliance.
“Amit Shah should think before defaming Punjab,” he said.
Responding to another question, Mann alleged that the Centre would step up action against opposition leaders as Punjab’s Assembly elections approached, predicting that CBI raids would take place over the coming months.
“Election are near, now for next few months this will go on. They will conduct CBI raids, which means polls are near.
“They did so in West Bengal, Bihar, Delhi, Haryana… Let them do it, people of Punjab will give reply,” he said.
Asked about the opposition and Cockroach Janta Party’s protests in the national capital, Mann alleged that people questioning the Election Commission were being thrashed.
He also accused the BJP government of effectively placing Delhi under lockdown, saying it had “locked” the national capital as if an Emergency were in force and deployed 70,000 police personnel to prevent people from outside from entering the city.
“But if anyone enters, they put them in jail,” he alleged.
(PTI News)
