Chandigarh, Oct 13 (IANS) Punjab BJP President, Kewal Singh Dhillon, on Tuesday slammed the Bhagwant Mann government over the murder of anti-drug activist Parvinder Singh Jhota in Mansa town, by a medical store owner.
According to a preliminary report, a medical store owner allegedly opened fire on the activist following tensions over his anti-drug activities.
Jhota, who was associated with an anti-drug task force, had been actively campaigning against drug trafficking and the alleged sale of addictive substances.
He had reportedly confronted individuals suspected of selling drugs and mobilised local communities to oppose the menace.
Referring to the incident, Dhillon said Chief Minister Mann had failed to govern Punjab and should resign from his post immediately.
He said law and order in the state had deteriorated during Mann’s tenure, while the drug problem had spiralled out of control.
Dhillon demanded the immediate arrest of those responsible for Parvinder Singh Jhota’s murder.
He questioned what was happening in Punjab, where murders were taking place almost every day and people raising their voices against drugs were being shot dead in broad daylight.
This clearly reflected the alarming state of law and order in the state, he said in a statement.
Dhillon said Jhota had been raising his voice to save Punjab’s youth from drugs. His mission was to help young people escape the trap of addiction, but this did not go down well with drug traffickers.
He questioned who would take responsibility for the safety of ordinary citizens if those fighting against drugs were not safe.
Referring to a similar incident involving Gulzar Singh in the past, the state BJP chief said the steadily deteriorating situation in Punjab was creating fear among the people.
Dhillon alleged that drugs were being sold openly in Punjab and that the Aam Aadmi Party government had completely failed to curb the menace.
He said people who raised their voices against the drug trade were being forced to pay with their lives. This situation raised serious questions about the state government’s functioning, he added.
Dhillon said fear of the law had disappeared among criminals. He described the present government as the most incompetent government in Punjab’s history.
–IANS
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