HM Shah’s visit sends strong message to drug smugglers: Punjab BJP chief

Chandigarh: Punjab BJP President, Kewal Singh Dhillon, on Tuesday said Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s visit to Punjab had sent a strong message that the days of drug smugglers were numbered and that the state would soon be free from drugs.

Dhillon made the statement after accompanying Shah during meetings with families of victims allegedly affected by the drug menace, including the family of Parvinder Singh Jhota.

He said he accompanied the Home Minister to meet the families of Vikramjit Singh in Gurdaspur, Gulzar Singh in Turbanjara in Sangrur, and Jhotta in Mansa.

According to Dhillon, the families were assured that justice would be delivered.

Targeting the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Punjab, Dhillon alleged that it had failed to control drug trafficking and that those raising their voices against drugs were being killed.

Reacting to the state government's decision to hand over the Jhota murder case to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Dhillon claimed that the move was prompted by political pressure following Shah’s visit rather than a genuine commitment to justice.

He alleged that the state government had initially attempted to portray Jhota’s murder as a case of personal enmity.

Dhillon demanded that the Punjab government publicly apologise to Jhota’s family and the people of the state.

He said the decision to transfer the investigation to the CBI reflected the government's inability to ensure justice for the victim’s family.

The BJP state President further said his party had taken up the matter earlier, writing to the Punjab Governor on October 13 to demand a CBI investigation, as the party believed the state government would not take appropriate action.

Dhillon claimed that the families of Jhota and other victims could expect justice only through the intervention of Shah, the Central government and the CBI.

He demanded that all similar cases be transferred to the central agency for impartial investigations and accountability.

Launching a further attack on the AAP government, Dhillon said it could not evade responsibility for the situation in Punjab.

He claimed that the people of the state were ready to remove the government, which he accused of coming to power on the basis of false promises.

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