Mansa, Oct 24 (IANS) Former Punjab BJP chief Sunil Jakhar, while remembering slain anti-drug activist Parvinder Singh Jhota here on Saturday, asked the CBI to widen the scope of its investigations into drug-related cases and examine the role of the drug inspector to enable a fair probe.
He alleged the drug inspector responsible for regulating drugs in Mansa, whom the government had earlier arrested in a corruption case, was posted at headquarters. He said an investigation into the inspector’s role would reveal several “secrets”.
He said the true purpose of paying tribute to Jhota was to strengthen the resolve to make Punjab drug-free.
He saluted Jhota’s father and wife for continuing the struggle to save Punjab from drugs despite their unbearable grief, and said he stood firmly with the family.
Jakhar said Jhota had a deep commitment to society and that he had come to honour the campaign launched by him against drugs.
He said people across Punjab were making every possible effort at their own level to fight drugs.
Expressing grief, he said that alongside deaths caused by drug overdoses, the safety of those speaking out against drugs had also become a serious concern. He said the campaign launched by Jhota had given a new direction to the fight against drugs. Its purpose was not to target anyone, but to save Punjab from the scourge of drugs.
However, he had to sacrifice his life in this struggle. He said alarming conditions prevailed in every village of Punjab. While some people were losing their lives to drugs, others were being killed for fighting against them, and gangsters were targeting people elsewhere.
He said the youth were in danger, yet the Bhagwant Mann government appeared unable to address these serious issues.
Questioning the Chief Minister for speaking in the Assembly about being stopped at an airport instead of raising Jhota’s case, Jakhar said Mann was unconcerned about the problems and suffering of Punjab’s people, but was lamenting why he had been stopped for checks at the airport.
He said that if government ministers did not even reach out to hear people’s grievances, it raised serious questions about democratic accountability.
–IANS
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