ਪੰਜਾਬ Finance ਮੰਤਰੀ Harpal Singh Cheema has strongly blamed previous governments for the rise in gangster activities and drug problems in the state. Speaking to the media before the Assembly session in Chandigarh, Cheema said political parties like the BJP, Congress, and Akali Dal (SAD) are pretending to be worried about gangsters, but they were the ones who allowed them to grow in the first place.
He pointed out the recent murder of a businessman in Abohar, which was reportedly planned by gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, who is currently lodged in a Gujarat jail. Cheema questioned why Bishnoi is being kept in Gujarat and accused the BJP of keeping gangsters in other states to use them for disturbing peace in states like ਪੰਜਾਬ, where it is not in power.
Cheema claimed that his ਸਰਕਾਰ is working sincerely to restore peace and end the drug mafia in ਪੰਜਾਬ, something that he said earlier governments failed to do.
He also alleged that leaders from all major parties have been linked to drug networks or have openly supported gangsters. “We are cleaning the mess left behind by them,” he said.
Cheema criticised the Congress for giving gangster Mukhtar Ansari a comfortable stay in ਪੰਜਾਬ jails and accused SAD leaders of backing criminal elements. He even took a dig at Leader of Opposition Partap Bajwa for changing his stance on holding SAD leaders accountable.
On the topic of ਪੁਲਿਸ action and fake encounters of gangsters, Cheema said investigations are ongoing and truth will soon be revealed to silence the critics.
In summary, Cheema’s message was clear: the present problems in ਪੰਜਾਬ are a result of past governments’ negligence, and the AAP-led ਸਰਕਾਰ is now working to fix them.
