Chandigarh, Sep 14 — Ahead of the Punjab Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) launching four state-wide 'Nasha Mukt Punjab Yatras' from September 18, Leader of Opposition (LoP) and senior Congress leader Partap Singh Bajwa on Monday criticised both the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)-led state government and the BJP-led Union government for turning the state's devastating drug crisis into a political blame game, instead of dismantling the drug supply chain.
Reacting to Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann's statement, Bajwa said both the state and the Central governments were trying to evade accountability by blaming each other.
"Bhagwant Mann cannot wash his hands of responsibility by talking about cross-border, the BSF and Mundra Port. At the same time, the BJP cannot absolve itself by blaming Punjab while the international border, ports and the national drug-trafficking network fall within areas where the Union government has a critical responsibility. Punjab's youth need action, not a Mann-Modi blame-game," the LoP said in a statement.
He said Chief Minister Mann's claims of thousands of arrests and first information reports (FIRs) must be judged against the ground reality.
"If the government has truly won its so-called war on drugs, why is 'Chitta' (synthetic drug) still so easily available? How many top-level kingpins have been convicted? How much drug money has been seized? How many political and financial networks supporting the mafia have been dismantled?" he asked.
Bajwa added that the tragic incident of Gulzar Singh in Sangrur should shame both AAP and the BJP.
Gulzar Singh had publicly raised the issue of the easy availability of drugs and subsequently died after consuming poison, the LoP said.
The circumstances surrounding Gulzar Singh's death and allegations of harassment require a thorough and impartial investigation, Bajwa added.
"CM Mann should stop saving his blue-eyed Minister Harpal Singh Cheema, who was named by Gulzar Singh in his statement before his tragic death."
Bajwa also condemned the alleged police assault on Mohanjit Singh, who had raised his voice against the drug menace.
"If a citizen who speaks about drugs is allegedly beaten in police custody, what message is this government sending to Punjab's people? Citizens raising their voice against drugs should be protected, not intimidated," Bajwa said.
"Gulzar Singh raised his voice and died under tragic circumstances after harassment at the hands of AAP supporters. Mohanjit Singh raised his voice and allegedly suffered police brutality. Mann and the BJP are busy holding press conferences and pointing fingers at each other. This is not a war against drugs; it is a war of political narratives," Congress leader Bajwa added.