• Source:JND
HighLights
  1. Labourer Gulzar Singh's suicide sparks political row over Punjab drug menace.
  2. Punjab BJP chief's convoy attacked visiting Gulzar Singh's grieving family.
  3. AAP and BJP exchange accusations over politicising the tragic suicide.

Chandigarh: The suicide of a labourer in Punjab who flagged the state's drug menace after his son fell victim to it has sparked a political uproar ahead of the upcoming assembly elections.

The victim, Gulzar Singh, died by suicide on Monday, leaving behind a video in which he named Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema. His family has alleged that his cremation was carried out "forcibly" and against their consent, news agency PTI reported.

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Attack On State BJP Chief's Convoy

The row escalated on Thursday when the convoy of Punjab BJP chief Kewal Singh Dhillon was attacked while he was on his way to village Toor Banjara, Sangrur district, to offer condolences to the family of Gulzar Singh. He was accompanied by senior party leaders including Manpreet Singh Badal, Sunil Jakhar, and Ashwani Sharma.

Dhillon alleged that AAP workers, acting on orders from their "masters" in Delhi, surrounded his vehicle. He pointed out that police stood just 100 meters away but did not intervene, adding, "This was not an attack on me, but an attack on democracy."

AAP Hits Back

The ruling Aam Aadmi Party refuted the BJP's allegations, claiming it was the local villagers who turned the politicians away, NDTV reported.

Hitting back, Punjab Health Minister and AAP leader Balbir Singh said that "BJP leaders who arrived to play politics over the body were sent packing by the people of Punjab."

"Those who see political opportunity instead of offering sympathy in times of grief - what kind of politics will they teach the people of Punjab?" he added. 

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He further said that such behaviour "will never be accepted by Punjab."

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Senior AAP leader Manish Sisodia said, "The BJP, which was politicising the pain of a poor Dalit family from Punjab, was shown its true reflection by the villagers."

(With Inputs From PTI)


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