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Delhi Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa on Tuesday launched a scathing attack on the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Punjab, alleging a direct nexus between the administration and the "drug mafia" following the murder of Anti-drug activist Parminder Singh Jhota in Mansa.
Addressing the reporters, Sirsa claimed that the incident highlights a state of lawlessness similar to cartel-run nations. "A very major incident occurred just a short while ago. As we have been saying repeatedly, the Punjab government is being run by a drug mafia. It seems that Bhagwant Mann, Arvind Kejriwal, and Manish Sisodia are taking a lot of money from the drug mafia," Sirsa alleged. Drawing a grim comparison, Sirsa argued that Punjab is witnessing an unprecedented decline in public safety for those challenging the illicit narcotics trade. "Today, a Mansa-based drug activistwhom the Punjab police had previously arrested and tortured just because he spoke out against drugshas now been murdered," he stated. "Just imagine, this kind of thing used to happen in America or Colombia, where those who spoke out against drugs were killed. Today, Punjab has become the same kind of state, where the police either torture people and put them in jail, or, as in today's incident, someone who was fighting against drugs was murdered. This shows the state of drug issues in Punjab," he added. Sirsas remarks come after Jhota, who was known for his activism against drugs in Mansa, was shot by a medical shop owner. He was taken to a hospital after sustaining bullet injuries and later succumbed to them. The killing of Jhota has ignited a political firestorm with opposition leaders tearing into the Bhagwant Mann-led government alleging a failure of law and order and questioning the effectiveness of the state's campaign against drugs. Former Punjab Congress president Raja Warring, in a post on X said, "The daylight murder of Parminder Singh Jhota is a direct result of the failed law & order and failed 'Yudh Nashean Virudh' of the @BhagwantMann govt. Parminder stood up against Punjabs drug menace but his initiatives were never supported by the @AAPPunjab govt. His broad daylight murder exposes Serious failures of the AAP Govt. Congress leader Sukhpal Singh Khaira also targeted the AAP government, alleging that the killing exposed the failure of its anti-drug campaign. "The broad daylight murder of Parminder Singh Jhota a known and drug activist of Punjab only shows how powerful #DrugMafia is under the @AamAadmiParty govt! Politician-Police-Drug Mafia nexus rules the roost in Punjab, Khaira said in a post on X. Shiromani Akali Dal leader Bikram Singh Majithia alleged that Jhota was shot while recording drug dealers on camera. Parvinder Jhotta, who was fighting against the drug menace in Mansa, was shot at and subsequently died," Majithia said. Sukhbir Badal, President of the Shiromani Akali DaI also slammed the state government accusing them of criminal negligence. "I am profoundly shocked to learn about the merciless killing of Parvinder Singh Jhota by a drug trafficker. This heinous murder is a stark reminder that law and order has ceased to exist in Punjab. The deceased had been continuously raising his voice against the drug menace but no one took heed and no one supported him. The much-hyped Yudh Nashian Virudh is nothing but a gimmick and has completely failed. Recent events have exposed how the Guru-Dokhi Bhagwant Mann led AAP dispensation is completely engrossed in looting Punjab and draining the state's resources to enrich itself. They have zero attention towards the fast deteriorating situation in the state, and it is because of this criminal negligence that Punjabis are suffering every single day. This jungle raj must end," he asserted. (ANI)
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