Chandigarh: Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann on Tuesday challenged Union home minister Amit Shah to act against gangsters lodged in Gujarat jails and stop the influx of narcotics from Pakistan, accusing the BJP-led Centre of exploiting Punjab’s drug crisis for electoral gains.“You talk about action against gangsters, but where are those who have taken responsibility for major murders lodged? They are in Sabarmati Jail and other prisons in Gujarat, as well as Tihar Jail,” Mann said, asking Shah to examine his own record before questioning Punjab’s law and order.Mann accused the BJP of raising the drug issue for political reasons and cautioned Shah against provoking people or exploiting the grief of bereaved families. “Please do not come here and try to provoke people or emotionally blackmail them,” he said.Questioning the Centre’s efforts to stop cross-border drug smuggling, Mann said the Border Security Force controlled the 50-km belt along the international border and asked Shah what steps had been taken to prevent narcotics from entering Punjab from Pakistan.Mann said he had repeatedly urged Shah and other authorities to install anti-drone systems along Punjab’s 532-km border with Pakistan. “You have not allowed the necessary system to be installed. We installed our own system in coordination with the BSF,” he said.The chief minister also questioned the BJP’s record on drugs during its alliance with the Akali Dal in Punjab from 2007 to 2017. He asked why the party had not acted when drug trafficking had grown into a major crisis in the state.Mann also referred to the seizure of 2,200 kg of heroin in Gujarat, questioning the response to the case, and alleged that drug trafficking remained a serious problem in Rajasthan.Taking a swipe at the BJP over law and order, Mann referred to the recent firing incident involving actor Tiger Shroff in Mumbai. He claimed those arrested were caught in Kota and had links to Kurukshetra in Haryana. “Who is in power in Haryana and Rajasthan? The BJP. You come to Punjab and talk about law and order,” he said.Mann also recalled the farmers’ protest against the Centre’s three farm laws, saying more than 700 farmers died during the agitation at Delhi’s borders. He asked why Shah had not visited their families.On the killing of anti-drug activist Parminder Singh Jhota, Mann said the Punjab govt stood with the family and had recommended a CBI probe. He urged Shah to meet bereaved families with genuine sympathy and called on the Centre to strengthen the NDPS law and act against drug networks.
