“Those responsible for harming Punjab will not go unpunished”: Pargat Singh slams govt over banned capsules sale

Chandigarh [India], October 22 (ANI): Punjab Congress President Pargat Singh on Thursday accused the state government of failing to act against those responsible for the sale of banned capsules, claiming that such products continued to be sold under different names despite restrictions imposed by the previous Congress government.
Referring to Parvinder Jhota's actions in 2023, Pargat Singh said he had an official notification showing that Jhota had caught a shopkeeper selling the capsules. He alleged that the sale continued despite a ban imposed in several districts in 2021.
“In 2023, Parvinder Jhota caught a shopkeeper selling these capsules, and I have the official notification to prove it. The Congress government banned those capsules in 2021 in several districts, yet they continued to be sold under different names,” Pargat Singh said.
He further said that six shops had been closed and their licences cancelled following the latest incident.
“Since the latest incident, six shops have been closed, and licences cancelled. This means those capsules were being sold,” he said.
Questioning accountability in matters concerning public health, the Punjab Congress chief said that people would find it difficult to trust the system if those responsible for protecting public health were corrupt.
“I respect medical professionals, but if those responsible for public health are corrupt, who can people trust? The government here has failed. Those responsible have fled,” he said.
Pargat Singh also warned that those responsible would face action if the Congress returned to power in the state.
“Once we form the government, we will bring them back. Those responsible for harming Punjab will not go unpunished,” he said.
Earlier on Wednesday, Pargat Singh hit back at Union Home Minister Amit Shah over his visit to Punjab, accusing the BJP of making promises for the past 13 years without delivering on them. He alleged that the BJP was working against Punjab’s interests and questioned its record on controlling drug abuse in Gujarat.
The remarks came amid a continuing protest by the family of Parvinder Singh Jhota in Mansa over his murder. Amit Shah had recently visited the family, which demanded a CBI probe into the case. A CBI team reached Mansa late at night and registered an FIR based on the family’s statements.
Reacting to the development, Pargat Singh said he did not oppose the family’s demand for a CBI investigation but questioned the assurances given by the BJP.
He alleged that the BJP had been making promises for the past 13 years and said people were aware of its record.
Targeting the BJP over the drug issue, Pargat Singh referred to Gujarat, where the party has been in power for around 30 years, and claimed that drug abuse had still not been brought under control. He alleged that medicinal drugs were coming to Punjab from Gujarat and Maharashtra. (ANI)