Mansa, October 21
Senior Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in the Punjab Vidhan Sabha, Partap Singh Bajwa, today met Bhim Singh Ji, father of anti-drug activist Parminder Singh Jhota, who lost his life while fighting against the drug menace in Punjab.
Expressing solidarity with the bereaved family, Bajwa assured Bhim Singh that the Congress Party would raise the matter forcefully during the forthcoming Punjab Assembly session and hold the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government accountable for its failure to tackle the drug crisis.
Bajwa said the loss of a young life in the fight against drugs was a deeply distressing reminder of the grave challenge confronting Punjab. He asserted that the Mann government could not be allowed to evade responsibility while families across the state continued to suffer the devastating consequences of drug abuse and sought his resignation.
“The AAP government came to power promising to eradicate drugs from Punjab, but the drug menace continues to threaten our youth and destroy families. Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann must answer for the failure of his government to deliver on these promises. Congress will not allow the government to escape accountability,” Bajwa said.
Taking aim at both AAP and the BJP, Bajwa said the drug crisis in Punjab could not be viewed merely as a state-level political issue, as the BJP-led Union government also had a responsibility to act decisively against drug trafficking and the networks operating across state and national borders.
“Both AAP and BJP have failed Punjab’s youth. AAP made sweeping promises to eliminate drugs but has failed to provide the people with the assurance of a decisive victory against this menace. The BJP, despite controlling the Union government and central agencies responsible for tackling cross-border drug trafficking and organised narcotics networks, has also failed to deliver the results Punjab needs,” he said.
Bajwa said neither party could continue to use the drug menace as a political talking point while Punjab’s families paid the price. He called for accountability, effective coordination between state and central agencies, action against drug traffickers and their networks, and a comprehensive strategy to prevent young people from falling into addiction.
He further said that the Congress Party would raise the concerns of affected families and demand answers from the AAP government in the forthcoming Assembly session. The party would press for concrete action, rather than announcements and political rhetoric, to dismantle drug networks and protect Punjab’s next generation.
“Punjab needs action, not slogans. The future of our youth cannot be sacrificed to the political failures of AAP and BJP. We stand with families affected by drugs, and we will continue to demand accountability from every government responsible for tackling this crisis,” Bajwa added.
