Chandigarh, 20 October (H.S.): Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s visit to Punjab has sent a clear message that the days of drug smugglers are numbered and that Punjab will soon become drug-free. Punjab BJP President Kewal Singh Dhillon stated this after accompanying the Home Minister during meetings with the families of various victims, including Parvinder Singh Jhotta.

Dhillon said that today, he accompanied the Home Minister to meet the families of Bikramjit Singh in Gurdaspur, Gulzar Singh in Turbanjara, Sangrur, and Parvinder Singh Jhotta in Mansa. All the families were assured that justice would be delivered. He said the AAP government in Punjab had failed miserably to curb the drug menace. Worse still, those who raise their voices against drugs are being killed.

Reacting to the Punjab government's decision to hand over the Jhotta murder case to the CBI, Dhillon said the decision was not driven by a genuine desire to deliver justice but was a result of the government's nervousness over Home Minister Amit Shah's visit. He said the AAP government had so far attempted to suppress the Parvinder Singh Jhotta murder case by portraying it as a matter of personal enmity. Therefore, the state government must publicly apologise to Jhotta's family and every Punjabi. He added that handing over the investigation to the CBI was proof that the Punjab government was incapable of ensuring justice for the victim's family.

Kewal Singh Dhillon further stated that the BJP had taken the initiative in this matter. On October 13, the party had written to the Governor of Punjab, demanding a CBI investigation because no action was expected from the AAP government.

He said that the only hope for justice for Parvinder Singh Jhotta and all other victim families lay with Home Minister Amit Shah, the Central Government, and the CBI. He demanded that not just the Jhotta murder case but all such cases be handed over to the CBI to ensure justice for the families.

Taking the AAP government to task, Dhillon said the state government could not escape accountability. He asserted that Punjab wanted to rid itself of the AAP, and the people would soon remove what he termed a government built on false promises from power.

Hindusthan Samachar / GURSHARAN SINGH