Gurdaspur (Punjab) [India], October 20 (ANI): Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday met with the family members of victims who allegedly lost their lives for raising their voices against drug peddlers in Punjab, mounting a sharp attack on the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government over the unchecked narcotics trade in the state.
During his visit to the state, the Home Minister went to the residence of late Bikramjit Singh in Gurdaspur to offer his condolences to the bereaved family. He also met with the family members of Gulzar Singh, who was killed for standing up against local chitta (synthetic drugs) peddlers in Sangrur.
In a post shared on X, Shah expressed his grief, saying, "Today, at the residence of the family of late Bikramjit Singh ji, who lost his life for raising his voice against the unchecked drug trade in Punjab under the AAP government, I met them in Gurdaspur and expressed my condolences. May God grant them the strength to bear this sorrow."
Holding the Bhagwant Mann-led administration accountable for the deteriorating situation, Shah cornered the state administration over the emboldened drug mafia.
"The growing web of drugs in Punjab and the emboldened drug traffickers have raised serious questions about the functioning of the AAP government. In the Bhagwant Mann government, on one hand, Punjab's youth is falling prey to drugs, while on the other hand, those who raise their voices against it are not safe," he added.
Reiterating the Central government's resolve to eradicate the narcotics network, Shah asserted, "We are committed to making Punjab, along with the whole of India, drug-free and securing the future of our youth."
Detailing the harrowing incident regarding the alleged killing of his nephew Bikramjit Singh, Gurnam Singh said, "He had left from his house in the evening for a walk. It must have been 7.30-8 pm. 10-15 drug addicts surrounded him, along with 2 others. They took all three inside. The space is entirely covered with blood now. My nephew died on the spot, and the two others sustained critical injuries. They are admitted to the hospital right now. My nephew used to work against the drug menace; he had no personal enmity.”
On the Home Minister’s visit, he added, “Amit Shah visited us just now. He assured us that there will be a CBI inquiry and we will get justice...We felt good that he visited us here and spoke to us."
Along the same lines, Saroj Deepak, niece of deceased Bikramjit Singh, said, "Amit Shah visited us. He assured us that he will get us justice and make Punjab drug-free. We demanded a CBI investigation, and he said that the matter will be handed over to the CBI. I don't know who the people responsible for this are; they used to indulge in drug consumption. They were inebriated when they reached here and killed whoever they found before them. We demand justice and that Punjab be made drug-free."
Speaking to ANI on Shah’s visit to the state, former state BJP chief Ashwani Sharma said, "Union Home Minister Amit Shah met the bereaved family. The family shared their sorrow with him. HM assured them that the family will get justice. He reiterated his commitment that Punjab has to be made drug-free. Drug traders will be reined in. The family has been assured that they will get justice."
The visit comes amid a political debate over the drug menace in Punjab, with the BJP accusing the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government of failing to tackle the crisis. Shah had alleged that drug traffickers dealing in 'chitta', a term commonly used for heroin in Punjab, were flourishing under the AAP government's protection.
Meanwhile, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) sought a detailed report from the Punjab government on the killing of Bikramjit Singh in Gurdaspur and the injuries sustained by two others, Nishan Singh and Gurmukh Singh, in an alleged attack linked to narcotic drugs.
In a letter to the Punjab Chief Secretary, the MHA referred to the incident in Mari Panwan village under Sri Hargobindpur Police Station in Batala tehsil and sought details of the incident and the action taken by the state government. (ANI)
Amit Shah meets kin of anti-drug activists in Punjab, slams AAP govt over "growing web of drugs" in state
