Chandigarh: All-India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary in-charge for Punjab Sachin Pilot on Friday reacted sharply to Union home minister Amit Shah’s post on X slamming Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)-led Punjab govt over the murder of anti-drug activist Parvinder Singh Jhota.Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann also reacted angrily to Shah’s post, calling it a “copy paste tweet”. CM Mann also took a dig at BJP-ruled Centre govt, saying that an area of 50 km from the border was in the jurisdiction of the Border Security Force and that “3000 kg of chitta was seized at Kandla port in Gujarat”, a BJP-governed state.“Before speaking, Amit Shah ji you should have consulted your advisors. 50 km range is with the BSF. 3000 kg of chitta was seized from Kandla post in Gujarat. Before blaming Bhagwant Mann, take care of your responsibility. Do not copy paste tweets written by your lackeys,” Mann wrote in an X post in Punjabi, while reacting to an X post of Shah.In his post written in Punjabi, Shah wrote, “Punjab is grappling today with the rising threats of drugs, gangsterism, and organised crime. The biggest question before the Bhagwant Mann govt is: ultimately, who will bear the responsibility for the safety of Punjab’s people?”Shah’s post further read, “In Dirba, a father succumbing to pressure and consuming poison, and in Mansa, the broad-daylight murder of Parvinder Singh Jhotta — who had raised his voice against drugs — have raised serious questions about Punjab’s law and order situation. Parvinder’s father has leveled grave allegations against the ‘AAP’ govt and their MLA. The home ministry will also seek responses from the Punjab govt on both these incidents.”The Union home minister further wrote, “In Punjab, the drug trade is growing day by day, the threat of organised crime is increasing, and questions are being raised about the protection of those who speak out against drugs. Bhagwant Mann ji, the people of Punjab do not want promises—they want answers; not announcements, but results; decisive strikes against drug networks; and an impartial investigation into any political patronage received by criminals.”Shah added, “Today, I reiterate my resolve before the people of Punjab that, upon forming our govt in Punjab, we will work with full force to create a drug-free, gangster-free, and secure Punjab. Our goal is clear—strikes against the drug trade, protection of our youth’s future, strict action against criminals, and a rule of law in which no citizen is forced to live under the shadow of fear.”In response, Mann questioned if Shah knew Punjabi, alleging that he posted what was given to him by the Punjab BJP team.Meanwhile, embarking on a five-day tour to meet families allegedly at the receiving end of extortion attacks by gangsters in the state, AICC general secretary Sachin Pilot, while reacting to Shah’s post during an interaction with the media, asked, “Was Centre govt sleeping for the last four and a half years?” Pilot alleged that Centre “remembers drugs at the time of polls only”. He also alleged that illegal arms making their way into Punjab might be coming from across the border.“The Centre govt remembers drugs only when there are polls in the state,” said Pilot, seeking accountability of the Centre. He asked if the Centre govt did not see the “money related to narcotics, extortion, illegal arms and the separate economy of the gangsters”. Pilot also questioned Centre over alleged inaction while asserting that Centre had “all kinds of agencies including the intelligence bureau and all the paraphernalia.”Responding to a question on Shah’s claim that BJP ended Naxalism and a promise to make Punjab a drug-free state, Pilot took a dig at BJP, saying that the saffron party was a partner in Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD)-led govt in the state in the past, but the drug problem continued to persist.He added, “BJP does not have much role in Punjab. They are trying to search for a foothold in the state. Their anti-drug yatras were a complete flop. People have neither trust nor hope from them. If there is any alternative in Punjab, it is only the Congress.” Leader of the opposition in Punjab Vidhan Sabha and Congress MLA from Qadian, Partap Singh Bajwa, in a written statement, said, “If the Union home minister acknowledges that Punjab is grappling with a serious drug crisis, gangsterism and organised crime, the obvious question is what the BJP-led govt at Centre done over the past four years? A tweet expressing concern cannot substitute for accountability and concrete action.”Bajwa stated, “Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, who holds the home portfolio, must answer for the deteriorating law and order situation in Punjab. However, the BJP cannot use the failures of the AAP govt to deflect attention from the Centre’s own responsibilities.” Bajwa added, “Bhagwant Mann must explain why Punjab’s people are increasingly fearful for their safety. But the Union home minister must also explain what his ministry has done to dismantle the drug cartels and organised criminal networks that threaten Punjab. The BJP cannot spend four years watching the crisis deepen and then attempt to position itself as Punjab’s saviour through a tweet.”Meanwhile, BJP national president Nitin Nabin, in a post on X, wrote, “Punjab’s drug crisis has reached an alarming level. The killing of 40-year-old Bikramjit Singh in Gurdaspur, just two days after anti-drug activist Parvinder Singh Jhota was killed in Mansa, raises serious questions about the collapse of law and order and AAP govt.” Nabin asked, “What has Punjab come to when leading voices in society fighting against drugs must fear for their lives?” He added, “Punjab needs decisive action against the drug mafia and safety for its citizens. The people of Punjab deserve accountability and a govt that can keep them safe.”Questioning Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann, former Punjab Congress president Amrinder Singh Raja Warring posted on X, “While your govt keeps blaming chitta coming from across the border, dangerous capsules are now reportedly reaching our villages, threatening our youth and even schoolchildren. In Shri (sic) Hargogindpur, a young man has reportedly been killed and two others seriously injured for opposing alleged drug peddling. Who will protect Punjab’s children? How long will families suffer while the govt only make announcements? We need accountability, decisive action against drug networks, and a Punjab where raising your voice against drugs does not cost you your life.”Batala SSP Mehtab Singh, however, has claimed that the murder in Maari Pannuan village near Sri Hargobindpur was a result of a scuffle related to a mobile phone and not related to drugs.Ends
