- 16 hours ago
A panel discussion examines the persistent drug menace in Punjab following the killing of anti-drug activist Parminder Singh in Mansa. Former Punjab DGP Shashi Kant highlighted the nexus between drug smugglers, police, bureaucracy, and politicians, stating, 'Hardly any political party in Punjab has really been serious about it.' Representatives from major political parties traded sharp allegations during the debate. Shiromani Akali Dal senior vice president Maheshinder Singh Grewal defended his party's track record, pointing to border dharnas and asserting the issue stems from an international transit corridor. Congress national spokesperson Arshpreet Khadial demanded the resignation of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, pointing out administrative failure and questioning delayed demolitions. Meanwhile, Aam Aadmi Party national spokesperson Bikramjit Passi maintained that the present government has launched an aggressive war against narcotics, noting significant heroin seizures, high conviction rates, and the swift arrest of the Mansa activist's killer. Kant underlined that despite numerous High Court directives, lack of coordinated administrative action persists across successive regimes.
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NewsTranscript
00:00And joining me on the show tonight, Maheshinder Singh Grewal, who is the Senior Vice President of Kali Dhal, and
00:08he is also a former Cabinet Minister.
00:10We will be also joined by Shashi Kant, who is the former DGP of Punjab.
00:14In just a bit, Bikramjeet Singh Pasi, National Spokesperson of the Amadmi Party, will be joining us.
00:20And also, Arshpreet Kadial, who is the National Spokesperson of the Congress.
00:25But, Mr. Grewal, let me begin with you.
00:27The Kali Dhal BJP government ruled Punjab for a decade.
00:31Yet, the drug crisis remained a major political and social issue.
00:36Why should Punjab trust Shirmani Kali Dhal to solve a problem that persisted during its own tenure?
00:43So, what is evident is that governments change, but this issue is almost like a constant in the state of
00:50Punjab.
00:52First of all, I just wanted to tell you that Kali Dhal was a victim of the false propaganda jointly
01:03by the Congress and Amadmi Party.
01:06You can check the record.
01:08It was there.
01:09And you must be knowing it and remembering it that during Akali Dhal was in power, Akalis made four dharnas
01:17on the border.
01:17One in Pathankot, Amrassar, Gurdaspur and Fazilka.
01:22The purpose of the dharnas was that it is an international problem and Punjab is a corridor.
01:28Unless we strengthen our borders, it will not stop.
01:32Even at that time, many parties, including our partner, objected to that it amounts to demoralizing BSF.
01:40I am satisfied to that extent that everybody today says that until or unless the borders are not sealed, it
01:48will not stop.
01:49But what was stopping you from petitioning the center?
01:52You were part of the NDA.
01:54Yes, yes, yes.
01:56I tell you, we were doing that.
02:00And, Varya, you check from the record, national record or otherwise.
02:03It was there, no doubt, but it was the minimum to the extent.
02:09It was not visibly openly sold.
02:12It was not the shortages were used.
02:14And the government used to function and there was the authority of the government that was functioning.
02:21You couldn't see even a single such case what we are watching now for last 10 years.
02:27Second thing, Varya, it is a record that they were blaming the Akali's that Akali's allowed this thing.
02:34They filed a case against our leader, Mr. Bikram Ajitia.
02:38And, you know, five years, in five years, they couldn't collect even a eye out.
02:44Okay, so let me ask the present government.
02:47Let me ask Mr. Bikram Ajit Singh Pasi.
02:50Mr. Pasi, Parvinder Singh Jhota was killed while confronting the alleged sale of drugs or addictive drugs in Mansa.
03:00Amadni Party has said that it is fighting a war against drugs.
03:04How can the government claim success when a citizen confronting the alleged drug trade ends up dead?
03:14Well, I want to request you to, my name is Bikram Ajit Pasi.
03:18Okay.
03:20Mr. Pasi, go ahead.
03:21Yes.
03:23Second thing is that we have never heard before 2007 any drugs in Punjab.
03:30Although the Punjabis were used to take, many Punjabis, not all, used to take alcohol, but it was the BJP's
03:38Romney Kalidal government in which the drugs were introduced in Punjab and spread in Punjab.
03:45And my learned friend, Mr. Mahesh Indri Singh Garewal was saying about Mr. Bikram Ajit Singh Majitia.
03:52But there were so many allegations leveled against Satta, Chindi, so many names have been appeared at that time.
03:59And even during that tenure, between 2007 to 2017, we first time heard about Chitta, we first time heard about
04:08gangsters.
04:09And this was the reason.
04:12And their government didn't do anything.
04:16I openly say that they didn't do anything.
04:18And even the drugs were being supplied in many vehicles belonging to government.
04:24Why did you say that you will solve the drug problem within six months?
04:28That's the reason why people of Punjab should vote for you.
04:31That was the election promise.
04:33We have made maximum efforts.
04:36We have sincerely, successfully fighting with the drugs and we are doing war against drugs.
04:44What happened?
04:45And we have data.
04:46Five years?
04:48Let me speak.
04:50We get a success.
04:54I'm not saying that we have completely eradicated the problem.
04:58But we get success more than previous governments.
05:01And even in conviction rates, the conviction rate in Punjab is now 90%, which was 40% in Akali government
05:09and 58% in Congress government.
05:12Second thing, we have recovered more than 4,000 kg heroin.
05:16We have arrested so many known smugglers who were involved.
05:22Okay, so let me bring in Shashikant, who is the former DGP of Punjab.
05:26Sir, from your experience, what does this killing tell us about the enforcement system in Punjab?
05:32If the citizens are confronting suspected illegal drug sales themselves, where is the breakdown according to you?
05:39Is it in local policing, intelligence, regulatory oversight, or the larger political administrative chain of accountability?
05:50Yes, the drugs started getting into Punjab, I'm talking of heroin, during the later years of our militancy, the drug
05:57period.
05:57And it was sometime around 2011, 2012, that the thing really exploded.
06:04There was a massive riot in the Kapoorthala prison houses.
06:08High court took notice of that.
06:09I was called by the chief justice, and we had to speak about it.
06:15And the entire thing came out and opened, that the drugs were rampant all over.
06:19And Punjab and Anana High Court took loss of settings, and almost every wing of the Punjab government or the
06:28government of India was involved into that particular thing.
06:31And beautiful directions were given, but sadly, no instruction was really followed.
06:37And now I'm talking about this thing.
06:39Man, if you talk about the drugs, the real problem is its value, money value.
06:44And the nexus that exists in Punjab, clearly it is between the drug smugglers, a section of police, a section
06:52of society, a section of bureaucracy, a section of politician.
06:57I mean, everybody is involved into it, one way or the other.
07:01And let me tell you, ma'am, that during elections, you know, massive amounts are spent.
07:07And our observers of the Election Commission go, and they report hardly anything.
07:12But still we know that vehicles are going around, government vehicles I'm talking about, whether it's police or the department,
07:20and drugs are being distributed openly.
07:22So it is a thing when people are dying.
07:24And again, I'm sure they are talking about in context of what happened in Malsa.
07:29Malsa was there.
07:312012, there was an attempt to kidnap me from my house, a former DGP.
07:36Then there was Neha Shuri.
07:38She was shot dead.
07:39She was a drug inspector.
07:40She was shot dead in Mohali.
07:43Now, and I have seen this thing.
07:45So you are saying, Shashikanji, that there was an attempt to kidnap you, the DGP of Punjab?
07:51Yes, ma'am.
07:52You can check up the Google and you can check up newspaper.
07:55It was all over the globe.
07:56I remember that.
07:57But I'm saying that was also linked to the drug problem of the state?
08:02Yes, ma'am.
08:03Precisely.
08:04Precisely.
08:05So this is the situation as on date fair, that hardly any political party, any organ of the government, nobody
08:13is interested.
08:14And we have our drug officers.
08:16We have our civil administration.
08:19Everybody looks the other way and the drugs are rampant.
08:21That's the situation, ma'am.
08:23I'm going to come back to you, sir, because your perspective certainly is very, very valuable.
08:28Let me bring in Ashpreet Kadyal.
08:31Ashpreet, the Ahmadinei Party is blaming the drug crisis in Punjab and saying that it predates the present government
08:42and that successive governments have failed to eliminate it.
08:46Of course, the Akalis were there in power from 2007 to 2017.
08:53Before Ahmadinei Party came to power in 2022, it was the Congress government.
08:57What did you do?
09:00Thank you very much, Maria, for the question.
09:03Maria, first and foremost, the Home Minister, Mr. Bhagwat Maang, should resign effective immediately
09:08because he has completely and miserably failed on law and order.
09:12He has miserably failed on drugs and the people of Punjab are fed up with his government.
09:18The people are categorically saying, in fact, the family has categorically said
09:22that the Ahmadinei Party's government supported the killer.
09:26Let's have the Ahmadinei Party spokesperson on the screen, please.
09:29Mr. Parsi, yes, go ahead.
09:30If I may, please.
09:31My request here is very simple.
09:33Now that the Ahmadinei Party spokesperson has also come into the frame,
09:36the family has categorically said of the deceased,
09:39the Ahmadinei Party's government supported the killers and her MLA.
09:42They took the name of her MLA, Vijay Sigla, and said he supported the culprits.
09:46Yet he has not been nominated in the FIR.
09:49No action has been taken at all whatsoever against him
09:51because he's a leader of the Ahmadinei Party.
09:53And this person happens to be a former minister who was sacked,
09:57who was removed from the cabinet because a corruption case was registered against him,
10:01in which Mr. Mahan said we'll publish the evidence also,
10:05and three years later on, cancellation of the vote was filed.
10:07Now we demand that action be taken.
10:09Number two, there is a morcha by the name of Parminder Singh Chota, Justice Morcha.
10:14There are demands.
10:15Number one, resignation of the Chief Minister.
10:17Number two, that CBI investigation ought to be done.
10:23Number three, Punjab Bandh call has been given on 15th of October.
10:28My request here to the Ahmadinei Party is that Ahmadinei Party,
10:33you ought to please tell us one thing clearly.
10:34You have bulldozed over the house of the culprits.
10:39Number one, why did you have to wait for so long
10:42if he was indulging in drug peddling?
10:44And if Chota could see it, that person who was a drug activist,
10:49if he could see it, why couldn't the Ahmadinei Party?
10:51Absolutely, absolutely. Mr. Pasi, much to explain
10:55by the Ahmadinei Party government.
10:57You can't blame it on the Akhali's that they were there in power
11:01from 2007 to 2017.
11:03What did they do?
11:04You have been in power for five years.
11:06What have you done?
11:08And specifically in this case,
11:11no, give me a response specifically in this case
11:14with regards to the antecedents of the person
11:18who's responsible for this killing.
11:21OK, thank you, Maria, for giving me time to reply.
11:24The Congress always show their double face.
11:27Now, on the one hand, they are saying about Mr.
11:30Parmidr Singh Chota and their allegations.
11:33And on the other hand, Mr. Pargant Singh was very sympathetic
11:36towards the killer and his properties.
11:38Today, Mr. Pargant said that why the swap has house
11:41and house has been damaged.
11:43This is the double face of the Congress.
11:45And even the Congress had shown its double face
11:47when we had transferred 10,000 policemen
11:50who were posted there at their places for so many times
11:55and there were so many allegations against them.
11:57Now come to the Parmidr Singh Chota.
12:00There are so many judgments wherein the encroachment
12:05or any property which has been constructed
12:09by violating the law has been dismantled.
12:12And this is the case here.
12:13Third thing is, the third thing is,
12:16Parmidr Singh Chota was even,
12:17even he was not known that he was going to be killed
12:19by that fellow, that person, that killer.
12:23And Punjab government has taken serious action
12:26against that killer.
12:27Punjab government has arrested him
12:29within 24 hours from Salazar Rajasthan.
12:31Punjab government, the chief minister,
12:34the home minister,
12:35has clearly directed the police authorities
12:37that no one should be spared.
12:39Whosoever helped him.
12:40Yes, well, I'm free.
12:42Let me complete, Mr. Pargant.
12:43Let me complete.
12:44No, no, let him ask a question.
12:45One moment.
12:46Let him ask a question.
12:47Thank you very much.
12:48Punjab government had clearly directed
12:51that no one should be spared.
12:53Whosoever helped him.
12:55Now, it's a very important question, Mariah.
12:56To whom he has called?
12:58Second thing.
12:59Mariah, let me complete.
13:00Mr. Parsi, 30 seconds.
13:04Let him finish.
13:05Yes.
13:06Number one, Aam Admi Party
13:08has demolished the house of the culprit.
13:10My request is, if it was right,
13:13why was it not done before?
13:14Because he was indulging in drug peddling
13:16from long before.
13:17Number two, we want to know
13:18the specific ground for the demolition.
13:20Was it murder?
13:21Was it drug peddling?
13:22Was it illegal property?
13:23My request here is because
13:24the Aam Admi Party in Uttar Pradesh,
13:26when Yogi Dittanath's government
13:27was using the bulldozer
13:29in similar fashion,
13:30they used to condemn it
13:30and they used to say,
13:31punish the accused,
13:33punish the culprit.
13:34But the Aam Admi Party used to say,
13:36why are you punishing the family?
13:37Aam Admi Party's leader used to say,
13:40why are you punishing
13:40the mother of the accused?
13:42What's the role of the mother?
13:43What's the role of the daughter?
13:44What's the role of the family?
13:46What's the role of the sister?
13:47The role of the wife?
13:48The role of the grandfather?
13:49From over their head,
13:52the roof has been snatched away.
13:54This is what the Aam Admi Party's government
13:55used to say when you were in Delhi.
13:57Number two,
13:57my request is very simple
13:58to the Aam Admi Party.
13:59You ought to answer this thing.
14:01Chitta, heroin is being delivered,
14:03home delivered within five minutes
14:04in Punjab.
14:05Domino's pizza takes 30 minutes.
14:07Blinket takes 10 minutes.
14:08Chitta is being delivered within 10 minutes.
14:10All right, Mr. Parsi.
14:11Mr. Parsi,
14:12what is evident here is
14:13that you may have been in power
14:15for five years,
14:16but just as the previous governments,
14:19you have also failed
14:20the people of Punjab
14:21in tackling the issue of drugs.
14:23So all the promises
14:25that you may have made
14:26in the run-up to 2022,
14:28you have not really delivered
14:29on those promises.
14:31No, Mariah,
14:32it's not true.
14:33This is not true.
14:34The Punjab government
14:35has done best
14:37for the eradication of drugs
14:40and doing best
14:43because we have created,
14:45we have made
14:46so many visa defence committees.
14:48We have increased
14:49the de-addiction centres.
14:51We have installed
14:52anti-drone systems.
14:55Why are you interfering?
14:56Why are you interfering?
14:57Okay, you know,
14:58this is very evident.
14:59Let me bring in
15:00a Kalidal spokesperson.
15:02So would you,
15:03will it be fair now to say
15:05that this is now
15:07the election issue
15:08for every political party
15:10and every party
15:12will be blaming each other
15:13because no party
15:15is willing to really
15:16commit to the people
15:18of Punjab
15:19that they will be able
15:21to target the traffickers,
15:23convict them,
15:24punish them
15:25or even ensure
15:26that the entire supply chain
15:28is stopped
15:29because what they are looking at
15:31is essentially rehabilitation
15:33not really eradication of drugs.
15:37Maria,
15:37Maria,
15:38we are,
15:39we have done so many things.
15:40Maria,
15:40I want to tell the first thing
15:42that what this
15:43Aam Aadhaem Party
15:45person is saying
15:46is totally wrong.
15:47He says,
15:48government has done this.
15:49What government has done?
15:50The first statement
15:52after his murder
15:53of Mr.
15:54Prabinder Singh Chutha
15:54was by the finance minister.
15:56He says,
15:57it has nothing to do with drugs.
15:58He has been killed
16:00for personal rivalry
16:01and then they take a new turn.
16:03Are you playing to the gallery?
16:06This is sheer nonsense
16:08what you are talking here.
16:10Then now you said
16:11your government in Punjab
16:12says we have demolished
16:13his property
16:14because he is doing
16:16with the drugs
16:16and you say
16:17it was an illegal construction.
16:19What are your stand?
16:20You already have damaged,
16:23not damaged,
16:24but destroyed the Punjab.
16:26There is no system exist.
16:27You see,
16:28today even,
16:29if one policeman
16:30was arrested
16:31with a heroin
16:33worth 80 crore rupees.
16:36Your system is corrupt.
16:37Your government
16:38is involved in it.
16:39Your people
16:40in uniform
16:41under your patronage,
16:44under your patronage
16:45of your leaders.
16:46Okay, 30 seconds
16:47to Mr. Paasi
16:48and then I'll give
16:48the last word
16:49to Shashikandji.
16:50Go ahead.
16:51Let me complete.
16:51Maria,
16:53please be fair to me.
16:54Just one minute.
16:55Just one minute.
16:56These parties
16:56were responsible
16:57for the drugs
16:58from the Punjab
16:58and we are eradicating
17:00that problem.
17:01One minute to finish it.
17:02We have taken so many steps.
17:03We have not spared
17:04any policemen,
17:05any politicians,
17:06even BJP.
17:07What policing system
17:08we are talking about?
17:09Shashikandji is the former
17:10DGP of Punjab.
17:12Let's have him on the screen.
17:14Shashikandji,
17:15you know,
17:15the sad part is
17:16that every government
17:18blames the other.
17:20The Aam Admi Party
17:21government,
17:22which came with the promise
17:23that it will
17:24completely eradicate,
17:25has now started
17:27talking about
17:27rehabilitation
17:28rather than eradication.
17:31What really
17:31is lacking here, sir?
17:34Well, ma'am,
17:34they are talking of
17:35all the political parties
17:36have been talking
17:37of rehabilitation.
17:39How do you dismantle
17:40the entire chain here?
17:41Yeah,
17:42I'm telling you, ma'am,
17:43because,
17:43in fact,
17:44what is happening,
17:45the buprenorphine,
17:46which has been given,
17:47supplied to the
17:47so-called
17:48de-addiction centres,
17:50I call them
17:51addiction centres,
17:52that gets slipped out
17:53from there
17:53and gets onto the market
17:54for free sale.
17:55That's what's happening
17:56in most of the
17:57so-called
17:58de-addiction centres,
17:59most of them.
18:00And secondly,
18:00as far as the drug
18:01problem is concerned,
18:02sorry,
18:03my apology,
18:04I feel that
18:05no political party
18:06in Punjab
18:07has really
18:07been serious about it.
18:09I exposed
18:10the drug scandal
18:11way back in 2011
18:13and 2012.
18:14Now we have 22.
18:15The earlier
18:17high court,
18:18they had constituted
18:19double benches.
18:20They had going on.
18:21Still,
18:22even the present
18:22high court,
18:23the chief justice
18:24is also involved
18:25with the same problem
18:26how to control
18:27this thing.
18:28This is a problem
18:29in which I'll suggest
18:30all the parties
18:31read the proceedings
18:32of 2003-59
18:34of 2013
18:35in which
18:36our current
18:37chief justice,
18:38CJI,
18:39had given
18:39fantastic instructions.
18:41None of the government
18:42followed the instructions
18:42because here
18:44it's a problem
18:44in which
18:45all the organs
18:46of the government
18:47are involved.
18:48Police
18:48to stop it,
18:50to arrest
18:51this person's
18:52youth problem,
18:53rehabilitation problem,
18:54employment problem,
18:57all sorts.
18:57Each and every wing
18:58of the government
18:59is involved
18:59if they don't
19:00come together.
19:01And of course,
19:01I'm forgetting
19:02the health department
19:03because the controller
19:06of drugs,
19:07he had said
19:07in the high court
19:08that yeah,
19:09there is a great anomaly
19:11in their system.
19:13All invoices
19:13are going wrong,
19:14invoices are going on.
19:15So this is all
19:16the organs
19:17of the government
19:17whether there's
19:18functional...
19:18So basically,
19:19it's an operation
19:20which has been
19:20going on for years
19:21and there is
19:23lack of political
19:24will which is
19:25evident now,
19:26Shashikanth Ji.
19:27Yes.
19:28And governments
19:29keep changing
19:30but this problem
19:31is a constant
19:32in Punjab
19:32and that is
19:33the sad truth
19:34of Punjab today.
19:35Really appreciate
19:36your time,
19:36Arshpreet,
19:37Kadi Al,
19:37Shashikanth Ji,
19:38Mr. Greval
19:39and Mr. Pasi
19:40on this show.
19:42Of course,
19:42this is a story
19:43which will remain
19:44relevant in the
19:45run-up to the
19:46elections that will
19:47happen in Punjab
19:49in 2027.
19:50A story will
19:51continue to track
19:52very, very closely.
19:53That's all from me.
19:53Thanks so much for watching.