Opposition slams Punjab govt over Mansa death

Opposition leaders have launched a sharp attack on the Bhagwant Mann government over allegations that the police forcibly took the body of 35-year-old Daljit Singh from his grieving family in Mansa following his suspected drug overdose death.

Congress leader Sachin Pilot, All India Congress Committee (AICC) General Secretary and In-Charge of Punjab, also criticised the government, describing Singh’s death as another reminder of the devastating impact of drugs on Punjab’s youth. He expressed concern over reports of police force being used against the family and alleged that the government was intimidating those demanding justice. While Punjab former Congress president Raja Warring condemned the alleged incident, accusing the Mansa police of violating the deceased’s dignity and adding to the family’s grief. He questioned the government’s handling of the drug crisis, alleging that the authorities were targeting grieving families instead of taking action against the drug mafia.

Former Union Minister of State for Railways Ravneet Bittu termed the alleged forcible removal of the body shameful and inhuman, accusing the government of failing to control the drug menace. He called for accountability and demanded Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s resignation.

Former Punjab BJP president Sunil Jakhar questioned the government’s treatment of the bereaved family, invoking Punjabi traditions of respecting the dead. He alleged that the family had been denied the opportunity to express its grief and anger.

Punjab former Congress president Raja Warring condemned the alleged incident, accusing the Mansa police of violating the deceased’s dignity and adding to the family’s grief. He questioned the government’s handling of the drug crisis, alleging that the authorities were targeting grieving families instead of taking action against the drug mafia.

Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal also targeted the government, alleging that the police had prevented the family and local youth from reaching a protest site to demand action against drug peddlers. He accused the administration of using force against people seeking justice and called for the AAP government to be removed from power.

The leaders’ statements have intensified the political attack on the Mann government over Punjab’s drug problem. They alleged that the authorities were suppressing public anger rather than addressing the drug trade and called for action against those responsible.

The allegations concerning the handling of Singh’s body could not be independently verified from the statements provided.