The main Opposition, Aam Aadmi Party, on Monday put up a united front to hold a demonstration sit-in on the issue of rising problem of drugs in Punjab, while demanding investigation by the central probing agency.
The party workers assembled at the MlA hostel, under the leadership of its state unit president Bhagwant Mann, the leader of Opposition in Vidhan Sabha Sukhpal Khaira, state unit co-presidents Dr Balbir Singh and Aman Arora, Faridkot MP Prof Sadhu Singh, among others.
As the protesters started marching towards the Chief Minister’s residence, the police stopped them on their way, and the protesters staged a sit-in raising slogans against Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh and the Congress government.
AAP leaders lashed out at Capt Amarinder for siding with the Badals and cheating the people of Punjab even after swearing on Sri Gutka Sahib to tame the drug menace in the state within four weeks of formation of Congress government in the state.
They accused Capt Amarinder of being hand-in-glove with the Badals, and that was why he was not acting against the Akali leaders involved in drug trade in the state that resulted in increasing deaths of youngsters due to drugs.
The party demanded High Court monitored CBI inquiry in the matter. Besides, they also demanded that the government must take strict actions against the politicians, police officers and drug dealers involved in the drug trade.
AAP leaders also demanded a special session of Punjab Vidhan Sabha on the issue of increasing menace of drugs along with all party meeting at Chandigarh.
Mincing now words, Mann accused the former Cabinet Minister and SAD president Sukhbir Badal’s brother-in-law Bikram Singh Majitha for patronizing drug traders in state and dragging state’s youth in the menace.
“Had Capt Amarinder fulfilled his pre-poll promise of uprooting drugs from the state in four weeks, lives of thousands of innocent youth would have been saved. It is disheartening to see that the social organizations are forced to start a campaign against drugs to awake the government about such a serious issue that the government itself must have taken note of,” he said.
Mann said that the government functioning show that the Congress and Akali Dal both are running the government in the state as alliance partners as no action has been taken against any Akali Dal leader including Majithia.
He also asked the Congress MlAs, those who had raised their voice against Majithia, to push Capt Amarinder to take action against his nephew (Majithia).
Khaira said that Capt Amarinder has failed drastically to stop drug menace in the state. Accusing that a “few influential police officers, close to Capt Amarinder, are part of drug trade in the state”, Khaira demanded that DGP Suresh Arora, Dinkar Gupra and SSP Rajjit Singh should be immediately removed from their post for their alleged involvement in drug trade.
Khaira maintained that High Court monitored CBI inquiry is a must in the case and Capt Amarinder should immediately call an all party meeting at Chandigarh. He also demanded a special session of Punjab Vidhan Sabha on the issue of drugs.
Reacting on the march being carried out by Shiromani Akali Dal against drugs, Khaira compared it with Talibans holding a peace march against innocent killings.
Dr Balbir Singh said that Capt Amarinder must come back from hills and see how the drugs have ruined the youth of state. “He must visit the families of those who have lost their sons to drugs and talk to them once to know the pain of those parents. He should also tell the people of the state about his promise of eliminating drugs from state and what has he done so for in the direction,” he said.
later, OSD to CM Capt Sandeep Singh Sandhu reached the dharna site, and received a memorandum of demands from the AAP leaders.
After consultations, Capt Amarinder has agreed to meet the AAP delegation on Tuesday at 2:30 pm. Following this, the party leadership called off the dharna saying that next course of action will be decided after their meeting with the Chief Minister.