New Delhi, Oct 15 Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday targeted Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann over the drug menace in the state and asked who will protect those fighting against the evil.
The remark came against the backdrop of a broad daylight gunning down of Parvinder Singh Jhota, an anti-drug crusader, in Mansa.
“Raising a voice against drugs in Punjab has now become a death sentence. And this is happening under the rule of Bhagwant Mann’s AAP government,” Gandhi said on X in Hindi.
The Lok Sabha leader of the opposition said Jhota, who ran the ‘Stop Drugs, Give Employment’ campaign, was shot dead in full public view.
A video of the shooting, which followed a heated exchange between Jhota and a chemist shop operator, the assailant, showed up on Facebook earlier in the week.
Gandhi highlighted a few more similar incidents that took place in Punjab recently.
“Sangrur – The Chief Minister’s own district: Labourer Gulzar Singh raised the issue of drugs in the village in front of the minister. The family alleges that afterwards, he was pressured to apologise. He took his own life,” he said.
In Sangrur, he said, there are allegations of custodial torture against Mohanjeet Singh, who spoke out against drugs. The case is now in the high court.
“And there’s one more thing in Jhota’s story. When he lodged a complaint, an FIR was registered, and later the police booked Jhota. In a government where even the complainant becomes the accused, why wouldn’t the drug peddlers roam fearlessly?” the Congress leader said.
“CM Bhagwant Mann, answer this: Who will protect those fighting against drugs?” he said.
“The Congress will not sit easy without dismantling this drug empire that is destroying the future of Punjab’s youth,” Gandhi said.
Parvinder Singh, alias Jhota, known for raising his voice against drug abuse and the illegal sale of addictive substances at chemist shops, was shot dead in a busy market in Punjab’s Mansa district on Tuesday.
The medical store owner who allegedly opened fire was arrested from Salasar in Rajasthan on Wednesday as anger spilt onto the streets. The chemist’s shop was set on fire by a mob while authorities razed a portion of his house.
Jhota’s father gave a call for ‘Punjab bandh’ on Thursday, with political parties including Congress, Akali Dal, BJP, Akali Dal Waris Punjab De, farmers’ body Samyukta Kisan Morcha and state government employees’ unions extending support.
The family has also refused to cremate the body.
Ashwani Kumar, the medical store owner, allegedly opened fire at Jhota after he questioned him for selling addictive drugs to an elderly man.
Bathinda Range DIG Harjit Singh said an FIR has been registered against two persons in connection with the murder. PTI SKC 1.0.
(PTI News)
