Chandigarh-Former Punjab BJP president Sunil Jakhar has targeted the Bhagwant Mann government over the state’s steadily deteriorating law and order and its alleged patronage of drug traffickers and gangsters. Citing various incidents, he said the AAP government had no concern for ordinary people’s lives, their human rights or peace in the state. Instead, it remained intoxicated by the glimpse of a “Rangla Punjab” portrayed on its publicity hoardings, while Punjab’s actual situation was entirely different.
In a message shared on social media, Sunil Jakhar wrote: “It does not appear that Punjab is witnessing a ‘war against drugs’; rather, this is a ‘war against Punjab’.
“To understand this, look at the sequence of events: On September 2, Mohanjit of Sheron village in the Sunam constituency was subjected to inhuman police torture for protesting against drugs. On September 7, Gulzar Singh, a Scheduled Caste resident of Toor Vanjara village who raised his voice against drugs in Sangrur, was driven to suicide.
“Instead of delivering justice to the relatives seeking justice for Sanamdeep Singh, a Scheduled Caste youth from Kanoi village in Sunam who died by suicide on September 26, the Mann government’s police confined the family to a police station, violated their human rights and yesterday forcibly cremated their family member. Has this Mann government introduced a new concept of ‘unidentified bodies’? All three incidents concern Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s home district.
“Then, on September 13, a person was murdered for raising their voice against drugs in Gidderanwali village in Abohar, but the actual culprits have not been caught. On September 14, a young man’s body was found in Abohar’s Dharam Nagri, but the police took no action. On October 1, brazen hooliganism unfolded in Abohar’s grain market, with shots fired and vehicles vandalised. Last night, shots were fired outside the DSP’s office in Jalalabad.
“Well, this was bound to happen when the AAP government provides patronage to drug traffickers and gangsters.
“And the ordinary people! O Punjab, what concern does this Mann government have for their lives? It remains under the illusion that it can hide its misdeeds behind a wall of advertisements.”