Continuing his tirade attack against his own party’s government despite all efforts to appease him, Punjab Congress president Navjot Singh Sidhu on Thursday threatened to go on a fast-unto-death if the State Government fails to make public the report on the drug menace submitted to the Punjab and Haryana High Court by the Punjab Police’s Special Task Force (STF) chief.
Non-action on the drugs issue was one of his major complaints against the former Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh, who was forced to step down after a year-long festering feud with in-house critics.
Sidhu reminded that the Congress party came to power in 2017 promising eradication of drugs. “But if the Government does not open the drug reports, I will go on a hunger strike,” he declared while addressing a public gathering in Baghapurana (Moga), in the presence of the Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi.
“Lakhs of mothers lost their sons (to drugs). An elderly man told me that his grandson has ruined his life due to drugs, he said that I must get justice for such families. If this report is not opened by the Punjab Government, Sidhu apni dehi daa te laoo (then this Navjot Singh Sidhu will put his life at stake)...I will sit on fast unto death,” he said.
He added that the people should know “why the former Chief Minister kept sleeping for 4.5 years...people should know why the former home minister kept sleeping...lives of lakhs of youths were ruined due to drugs...lakhs have left the state and gone abroad”.
Sidhu maintained that this Government needs to open these reports. “The court has not barred the State Government from opening the reports,” said Sidhu.
Notably, the state agencies’ reports on the drugs issue have been submitted to the High Court in sealed covers and Sidhu has all along been insisting on sharing the findings of the report with the people of the State.