'Drug delivery faster than food in Punjab': SAD, Cong demand CM Mann's resignation, FM Cheema's arrest

New Delhi: In the wake of the death by suicide of a man from Punjab's Sangrur district over the issue of drugs in the state, the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and the Congress on Tuesday demanded the resignation of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and the arrest of Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema, while claiming that the delivery of drugs in the state "is faster than that of food".

Gulzar Singh had raised the issue of drug availability before Punjab Finance Minister Cheema. He allegedly consumed poison after claiming that he faced pressure and intimidation following his public questioning of Cheema over the prevalence of "chitta", a term commonly used for drugs, in his village.

Speaking to reporters, SAD leader Bikram Singh Majithia termed the incident "unfortunate".

"A helpless father, who was sad and frustrated that he was not able to save his family because of this addiction, whose family lost everything because their child was addicted, went to the MLA of his constituency, who also happens to be Finance Minister Harpal Cheema. Gulzar Singh gathered courage and asked a question: 'Look at the state of 'Chitta' addiction in Punjab'. Instead of sympathising with him, he was threatened after the programme and was told that they would implicate him in a false case," he said.

Claiming that the drug situation in Punjab has worsened, Majithia said: "This is not an isolated incident; this has been slowly building up over the past four-and-a-half years."

Referring to Harpal Cheema, he said: "Everyone heard the dying declaration...Is he (Cheema) above the law? We are demanding his arrest. We stand with that family. I have found out that he (Gulzar Singh) died in DMC...First, he was shifted from Sangrur to Patiala. Then again, he was shifted from Patiala to Sangrur due to the unavailability of a ventilator. He was then admitted to a private hospital. Finally, he was shifted to DMC. This means that health services are zero."

The SAD leader claimed that the situation is being "covered up to save Harpal Cheema".

"We demand strict and immediate action so that no one is able to support drug peddlers," he asserted,

Taking a jibe at the Punjab government, he remarked: "Under AAP's regime, delivery of drugs is faster than that of food."

Talking to IANS, Congress MP Amar Singh also said that drugs are a "very serious issue" in Punjab.

Targeting the AAP, he said: "Under this government, drugs are flowing freely, in every village, every neighbourhood and every street. The AAP government has ruined the youth. I do not want to talk about just one case. The entire state of Punjab is facing such a serious drug problem. They came to power by promising that they would eliminate drugs, but today, under the government of Bhagwant Mann and Arvind Kejriwal, drugs are being sold in Punjab on a large scale like never before. I believe they should resign because they have failed to resolve any of these issues.”

Earlier in the day, the BJP also lashed out at the AAP government over the "drug menace" in the state.

However, AAP leader Anurag Dhanda stated that thousands of drug traffickers have been arrested and sent to jail, and they will serve their sentences. "If anyone else is found involved in drug trafficking, we will not spare them, unlike the previous governments," he said during a press conference.

Hitting back at the SAD and the BJP, he said: "What did the Akali Dal-BJP government do? Whenever the name of a drug mafia member came up, they would strike deals with them and allow them to sell drugs openly...There are records of drugs being transported in the vehicles of their ministers."

"Now this same SAD and BJP are entering into an alliance from the back door because they want to return to the dark era of drug menace that existed from 2007 to 2017," he alleged.

--IANS

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