Chandigarh, October 23
Leader of Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa today led Congress MLAs in an intensified protest inside and outside the Punjab Vidhan Sabha, demanding Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s resignation over the murder of anti-drug activist Parvinder Singh Jhota and Punjab’s deteriorating law and order situation.
Led by Bajwa and Punjab Congress president Pargat Singh, Congress legislators wore black robes and raised slogans against the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government. During Question Hour, they entered the Well of the House carrying a “Letter of Condemnation”, demanding a discussion on Jhota’s murder, the drug menace and the growing insecurity across the state.
Bajwa said law and order was among the most pressing issues facing Punjab, yet the government was unwilling to allow a meaningful discussion on it in the Assembly. He accused the Mann government of failing to deliver justice while preventing the Opposition from holding it accountable.
Questioning the Chief Minister’s silence, Bajwa expressed dismay that Bhagwant Mann had not visited Jhota’s family to offer condolences. He pointed out that neither a minister, the party president nor an AAP MLA had visited the bereaved family to express solidarity.
The Leader of Opposition said the government could not escape responsibility for Punjab’s worsening drug crisis and the tragedies confronting families who had lost their loved ones. He asserted that the murder of an activist who stood against drugs demanded accountability and decisive action, not political excuses.
The protest witnessed heated exchanges between Congress legislators and treasury bench members, including Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema. Congress MLAs subsequently staged a walkout after Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan declined to accept their letter.
Bajwa declared that the Congress would take its fight beyond the Assembly and onto the streets of Punjab, exposing the AAP government’s failures and demanding justice for the victims of the drug menace.
“We will not allow the Bhagwant Mann government to evade accountability. Congress will fight on the streets of Punjab until justice is delivered to Parvinder Singh Jhota’s family and to the countless other families who have lost their loved ones to the drug menace. The people of Punjab deserve security, justice and a government that takes responsibility,” Bajwa said.
