CM says drugs are entering Punjab from Gujarat and Rajasthan:Holds press conference during Amit Shah’s visit, calls Home Minister’s trip an election campaign

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has alleged that drugs are entering Punjab from Gujarat and accused the central government of conspiring to defame the state. Mann made the remarks during a press conference amid Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s visit to Punjab. The Chief Minister had been on a visit to France and returned from abroad recently. Earlier on Tuesday morning, he decided to hand over the investigation into the Parminder Jhotta murder case in Mansa to the CBI. Mann said Shah was visiting Punjab following several tragic incidents in the state in recent days. “He is the Union Home Minister and can visit Punjab whenever he wants. However, the BJP is projecting his visit as an effort to save Punjab and make it drug-free. I have a few questions for the Home Minister,” Mann said. What the Chief Minister said at the press conference? Drug problem grew between 2007 and 2017 Addressing Shah, Mann said the drug problem had grown during the joint government of the Shiromani Akali Dal and the BJP between 2007 and 2017. “Drug consignments weighing hundreds of kilograms entered the state during that period. Why did you not remember the need to save Punjab then? Why was no action taken? A demand for a CBI probe against Bikram Singh Majithia was also raised at the time, but you did not act because he was your ally,” Mann alleged. He further claimed that the drug trade continued after the government was formed in 2015 and that drug traffickers named senior ministers. He questioned why action was not taken against them and why efforts were not made to make Punjab drug-free. More than 700 farmers died during the protest Mann also questioned Shah over the farmers’ protest against the Centre’s farm laws in Delhi, which lasted for around one-and-a-half years. “More than 700 farmers died during the protest. Why did you not visit their families or express sympathy? The Punjab government provided compensation of ₹5 lakh and government jobs to the affected families,” he said. Rajasthan has the highest drug problem, alleges Mann The Chief Minister claimed that Rajasthan had the highest level of drug abuse and described Haryana as a breeding ground for gangsters. “Drugs are coming from Gujarat. The Punjab Police has repeatedly seized consignments weighing around 3,000 kg from Adani’s port. Why are you not stopping this?” Mann said, referring to the role of Gujarat’s ports in drug trafficking. He also questioned the Centre’s handling of border security, noting that the Border Security Force (BSF) has jurisdiction over a 50-km belt along the international border. Questions Centre over drugs coming from Pakistan Mann further questioned the Union Home Minister over the alleged failure to stop drugs entering India from Pakistan. “You are the Union Home Minister. Why are you not doing anything to stop drugs coming from Pakistan? Why do you remember Punjab only during elections? It is unfortunate that you have stooped to such low-level politics,” he said. The allegations were made by Mann during the press conference. The claims regarding drug trafficking and the Centre’s response were not independently established in the statements provided.