Chandigarh : Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and AAP convenor Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday hit back at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s criticism of the Punjab government over Gulzar Singh’s death, alleging “politics over dead bodies.”
Rahul Gandhi had called for Punjab Minister Harpal Singh Cheema’s resignation after Gulzar Singh, a worker from Sangrur district, died by suicide after allegedly being harassed for publicly questioning Cheema about the illicit drug trade. Both Mann and Kejriwal shared a video of a confrontation between Congress leaders, who visited the deceased's village, and villagers.
The Punjab CM said that all the accused in the case were arrested. Hitting back, he held the Shiromani Akali Dal, BJP, and Congress governments responsible for the drug menace in Punjab. Mann, in a post on X, said, “Rahul Gandhi ji, don't do politics over dead bodies; Punjabis don't like this kind of politics. Look here, when Congress leaders went to the victim's village and still tried to indulge in this dirty politics, the people chased them away from there. In this case, all the accused have already been caught by the police based on identification by the family. The Akali, BJP, and Congress governments have been responsible for spreading drugs in Punjab. In my government, no drug smuggler will be spared.”
Echoing a similar sentiment, Kejriwal denied AAP leaders’ connection to the death of Gulzar Singh. In an X post, the AAP chief wrote, “Rahul ji, the Punjab government is fighting a decisive war against drugs. Who brought drugs to Punjab? Your Congress government brought them. The Akali Dal and BJP government brought them. For the first time, a state in the entire country is launching a war against drugs in this manner. Today, the Punjab government is trying to clean up the drug menace spread by Congress, Akali Dal, and BJP.”
Slamming Rahul Gandhi, he added, “I am deeply saddened that a leader like you is indulging in dirty politics over dead bodies. Yesterday, when your MLAs went to that village to politicize this person's death, the villagers threw them out. Watch this video. And that's because what you have written is an outright lie. I request you to come and visit this village yourself. Our government—none of its ministers or MLAs—has any connection to this person's death, and please do not stoop to such dirty politics.”
Earlier today, in an X post, Rahul Gandhi slammed the AAP government, calling for justice for Gulzar Singh’s family. He also called for an independent probe in the case. Gandhi wrote, “A dangerous pattern is emerging in Punjab's AAP government—if you question government failures, the response will come in the form of threats and torture. Gulzar Singh ji, from the Dalit community, who had to watch his son fall victim to drugs, asked the Finance Minister just this much: why has the government failed so miserably in stopping the drug trade?”
Sharing Gulzar’s video, before he consumed poison and died, the Congress leader alleged that he was pressured to apologize for questioning the Punjab Minister. “For just this, he was tortured and humiliated so much, pressured so intensely to apologize, that he consumed poison. Wandering from one hospital to another, without access to treatment, he ultimately lost the battle for his life,” he added. “The government's job is to answer to the people, not to crush those who ask questions. May Gulzar Singh ji's family get justice as soon as possible. The Chief Minister should immediately demand the Finance Minister's resignation and ensure an independent and impartial investigation, with his name registered in the FIR,” the X post read.
46-year-old Gulzar Singh allegedly died after consuming poison shortly after publicly questioning Harpal Singh Cheema about the illicit drug trade. Gulzar Singh, whose son is allegedly struggling with severe drug addiction, had raised concerns with the minister about the easy availability of synthetic drugs, locally known as chitta, in the area. Following the interaction, Gulzar Singh allegedly faced harassment and pressure from local leaders and panchayat members to publicly apologise for questioning the minister. He allegedly consumed poison and passed away while undergoing treatment at a hospital in Ludhiana. In response to the video and the family's statement, local police registered an FIR against five individuals under charges of abetment to suicide and relevant sections of the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act.