Punjab: When Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) senior leader and member of Parliament from Punjab Bhagwant Mann was asked about who is selling chitta (heroin) in Punjab, pat came the reply – senior SAD leader Bikramjit Singh Majithia.
In conversation with News18, Bhagwant Mann, who was part of AAP’s protests outside the MLA Hostel in Chandigarh on Monday, was blunt enough to blame the Akali Dal leader and former Punjab minister Majithia for Punjab’s sad state of affairs and the rise in drug-related deaths.
However, while AAP is once again trying to go back to the Punjab drug menace, their party chief took a different stand a few months ago.
In March this year, AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal apologized to Majithia for earlier accusing him with the same charges of links to the drugs trade. In return, the Akali Dal leader agreed to drop defamation charges against Kejriwal.
Expressing resentment over Punjab CM Captain Amarinder Singh’s reluctance to take action against Majithia, Mann said, “Since Congress is in power, we have been continuously telling Congress to arrest him. They have STF, vigilance teams and police, then why don’t they arrest him? His name is there in ED’s report. Then why has Captain always been advocating on his behalf? Why isn’t investigation taking place against Majithia? It was Captain Amarinder Singh who came forth and said that Punjab police is enough to for the investigation and CBI probe isn’t required.”
Mann isn’t alone in his discontent. Many Congress leaders had apparently been upset with the CM for not following up on the allegations against the Akali Dal leader.
According to a news report, 40 MLAs jointly wrote a letter last year in which they had requested Singh to initiate action against Majithia.
Mann said that he has been working in villages of Sangrur and continuously raising his voice against drugs.
“AAP has always raised its voice against drugs. From our youth wing sitting on dharna in Tarn Taran, which is the most-affected area, to wherever we are required; AAP has aggressively fought against drugs,” the AAP leader said.
Reminding Singh of his promise of putting an end to Punjab’s drug menace within four weeks of his governance, Mann gave the CM a message, “Captain should remember his pledge and put the big fishes behind bars.”
The Sangrur MP also highlighted how the drug issue is always side-lined in Vidhan Sabha.
“They don’t let us talk about this topic but end up diverting attention to other topics. We also demand a special session on drugs. Why do you think Captain Amarinder Singh is talking about the drug issue after 16 months though he had forgotten it earlier?” Mann wondered.
(With inputs from Pamil Bhatia)
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