Chandigarh, Oct 14 (PTI) Congress MP Amrinder Singh Raja Warring on Wednesday met the family of slain anti-drug activist Parvinder Singh Jhota, and lashed out at the AAP government for “failing” to curb the drug menace in the state.
Jhota, known for raising his voice against drug abuse and the illegal sale of addictive substances, was shot dead allegedly by a medical store owner in a busy market in Mansa district on Tuesday.
Warring conveyed condolences to the family of Jhota, and said the Congress party stands with it.
Speaking to reporters in Mansa, Warring said the drug menace is one of the biggest issues in Punjab and the Bhagwant Mann government has not been able to curb this scourge.
He said Jhota lost his life while fighting against drug menace.
“This incident has shaken Punjabis across the world,” he said, adding people across the world are worried over the state getting trapped in the quagmire of drug abuse that has claimed the lives of many youths.
He said many governments came and promised to wipe out the drug menace from the state but nothing happened.
Mann had promised to eradicate drugs within one-and-a-half-month and launched campaigns like anti-drug drive which “miserably failed”, he claimed.
The former Punjab Congress chief also dismissed claims that Jhota’s murder took place because of personal enmity.
He also questioned how the accused possessed a licensed weapon. “How could a man who was selling drugs procure a license for a weapon? That is a matter of investigation,” Warring, the Ludhiana MP, said.
“We stand by the family of Jhota,” he said.
Warring said his party will support the Punjab Bandh call for October 15 given by a joint action committee formed by various organisations following Jhota’s murder.
In another development, Akali Dal Waris Punjab De leader Manpreet Singh Ayali said he was prevented from heading towards Mansa by police at a checkpoint at Halwara Chowk in Jagraon. PTI CHS
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