- विज्ञापन -
Union Minister of State for Railways and Food Processing Industries, Mr. Ravneet Singh Bittu, has squarely blamed Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and the Delhi leadership of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) for the hooch tragedy in the Majitha sub-division of Amritsar, which claimed the lives of 16 individuals.
This marks the second such incident in recent times, following a similar case in Sangrur, Mann’s home constituency.
Accusing AAP’s Delhi leadership of turning Punjab into another victim of their “liquor scam model,” Bittu alleged that illegal liquor trade is thriving under political patronage. “After ruining Delhi with a liquor scam, the AAP leadership is now experimenting with Punjab. Senior AAP leaders from Delhi are making money through illegal liquor operations,” he said.
He criticized the state’s ‘Yudh Nashian De Virudh’ campaign, stating that despite crores of public funds being spent, the drug and illicit liquor menace continues unchecked. Bittu demanded accountability at the highest levels, calling for action not just against lower-level police officers like the suspended DSP and SHO, but also against senior police and civil officials. He warned that failure to act against top officials would suggest CM Bhagwant Mann’s direct complicity in the illegal trade.
“The entire Mann cabinet is in collusion with the drug mafia, operating under the blessings of AAP’s Delhi leaders,” Bittu alleged. He also put forward a set of demands which included ₹25 lakh compensation for the families of each victim, Government jobs for one family member of each deceased and a time-bound judicial inquiry conducted by a sitting or retired High Court judge. Bittu expressed disbelief that police and administration were unaware of the liquor mafia’s activities, particularly in border districts, and warned that similar conditions exist across other parts of Punjab due to ongoing political protection for drug cartels.
Criticizing the state government’s “bulldozer justice” approach, Bittu said that demolishing the homes of poor people and small-time peddlers while letting drug lords operate freely was a misleading narrative of a drug crackdown. He also questioned the credibility of Bhagwant Mann’s promise to eliminate drugs by May 2025, accusing the CM of lacking the moral and personal integrity to lead such a campaign.
“In such a tragic and serious situation, there is no point crying over spilled milk. The Chief Minister must take full responsibility for this tragedy and resign from his post immediately,” Bittu concluded.
