The Congress has demanded the removal of Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema following the death of a 47-year-old man who had recently questioned the minister about the alleged widespread availability of drugs in the state.
Gulzar Singh, a resident of Dirba in Punjab’s Sangrur district, died Monday night after allegedly consuming poison. According to his family, Singh had raised concerns about the supply of drugs in the area while questioning Cheema at an event in Dirba on September 6.
The incident has sparked a political confrontation, with Congress accusing the Aam Aadmi Party government of failing to address Punjab’s drug problem and demanding accountability from the minister.
Congress general secretary in charge of communications Jairam Ramesh alleged that Singh had spoken about the impact of drugs, locally referred to as “chitta,” on his son and had publicly questioned Cheema about their availability.
Ramesh further claimed that Singh was subsequently pressured to apologize for raising the issue.
The Congress leader alleged that Singh had held Cheema responsible for his death and said the finance minister should be dismissed if the AAP government was serious about combating the drug trade.
“We believe that if the AAP government is not colluding with drug mafias, then the concerned minister should be immediately dismissed,” Ramesh said.
Ramesh also accused the Punjab government of attempting to silence people who publicly question its record on drugs.
He referred to another recent incident involving Mohanjeet Sheron, a young man who had protested over the drug issue at an event attended by Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann. Ramesh alleged that Sheron was subsequently tortured by Punjab Police.
Congress said Singh’s death raised serious questions about the AAP government’s handling of Punjab’s drug problem and accused the ruling party of failing to deliver on its promises to eradicate drugs from the state.
The allegations cited in the report were made by Congress leaders and Singh’s family. The source report does not include a response from Cheema, the Punjab government or Punjab Police to the allegations.
