Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Friday hit back at Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s remarks that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) will be ousted from the state in upcoming Assembly polls, saying that the government will not be formed according to HM Shah’s wishes, while claiming that Gujarat has become the “biggest supplier” of drugs in the country.
On Thursday, Amit Shah had targeted the Punjab government and AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal, saying that the party will be “wiped out” of the state in the upcoming elections and that the NDA will form a government and eradicate the state’s drug menace by 2029.
Speaking to reporters here, CM Mann said, “The government will not be formed according to Amit Shah’s wishes. It will be formed according to the wishes of the 3.25 crore people of Punjab.”
He alleged that the biggest drug cartel in Punjab flourished during the tenure of the Akali Dal-BJP government, from 2007 to 2017.
“Big smugglers had named several senior ministers with whom they are now talking about a compromise. Drugs are coming from Gujarat. They themselves have admitted that they seized drugs worth Rs 20,000 crore. So why are drugs coming from there?” CM Mann said.
While acknowledging that drones are used for cross-border drug trafficking into Punjab, the Chief Minister said, “But how are drugs reaching the ports? There are proper customs procedures and security arrangements at ports. If consignments of 3,000 kg are arriving at the ports, it means Gujarat has become the biggest supplier today.”
Further, responding to a question regarding the Opposition’s protest in the Punjab Assembly over the killing of anti-drug activist Parvinder Singh Jhota, CM Mann said: “They have no other issues. They only want to create a ruckus. First, they say the Assembly is not convened, and when it is convened, they boycott it. The discussion is underway, and they should participate. Questions and answers should take place; that is how democracy works.”
Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday assured justice for the family of Parvinder Singh Jhota, who was allegedly murdered for raising his voice against drugs in Punjab’s Mansa.
During his visit to Mansa, HM Shah met the family of Jhota and assured them that justice would be delivered. The meeting lasted around 20 minutes.
