The Punjab Congress on Tuesday sought President Pranab Mukherjee’s intervention to dismiss the State Government led by SAD-BJP coalition, with immediate effect. The party cited “involvement of Ministers in drug trade”, “glorification of terrorism by a Minister”, “irresponsible and condemnable protest against paramilitary forces”, and “bid to destabilise the communal harmony in the State” as reasons for its demand.
Bringing the “distressing state of affairs in Punjab”, the demand was put forth by a delegation of party MlAs, led by Congress legislative Party (ClP) leader Sunil Kumar Jakhar.
Justifying the demand for “drastic measure” of dismissing SAD-BJP Government, the party said that it is “required to protect the life and security of citizens of Punjab, lest the State fall back into the dark days of terrorism”.
The memorandum maintained that after suffering vagaries of extremism for almost two decades, Punjab “is again slipping into another cycle of lawlessness and breakdown of state structures under the SAD-BJP Government”. It alleged that drug menace has reached an “alarming proportion”, besides every type of narcotic — from opium to synthetic drugs — is available freely in the State.
“This drug menace in Punjab has proliferated due to drug mafia’s nexus with Ministers, MlAs and party functionaries of SAD-BJP. Greed for monetary as well as political gains have made these SAD and BJP members to use their influence to allow free passage of drugs in to the veins of youth of Punjab,” read the memorandum.
Without naming anyone, it added that at least three Ministers of the State Government have been summoned by the Enforcement Directorate and other government agencies for their alleged role in the drug trade.
The party also alleged that SAD (Badal), under the Chief Minister’s leadership, has now started to raise so-called panthic agenda of terrorism days; and by doing so, he was “violating his constitutional duty”.