'Dangerous Pattern In Punjab': Rahul Gandhi Slams AAP Over Man's Death By Suicide
'Dangerous Pattern In Punjab': Rahul Gandhi Slams AAP Over Man's Death By Suicide
M.U.H
09/09/202612
Chandigarh: Congress MP Rahul Gandhi has launched a fresh attack on the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Punjab over the death by suicide of a 50-year-old man, after complaining the state was not doing enough to fight the drug menace.
"A dangerous pattern is emerging in Punjab's AAP government - if you question government failures, the response will come in the form of threats and torture," Gandhi said, referring to the case of Gulzar Singh, who lived in Sangrur district.
He had consumed pesticide after the police allegedly put pressure on him to apologise for questioning Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema on the drugs issue in the border state.
"Gulzar Singh ji, from the Dalit community, who had to watch his son fall victim to drugs, asked the Finance Minister just this much: why has the government failed so miserably in stopping the drug trade?
"For just this, he was tortured and humiliated so much, pressured so intensely to apologise, that he consumed poison. Wandering from one hospital to another, without access to treatment, he ultimately lost the battle for his life," Gandhi said in a post on X.
The case happened just days after another man was allegedly subjected to custodial torture by the police for raising the issue of drug abuse by carrying a black flag at an event that Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann had attended.
"Last week, I also spoke with a young Mohanjeet Singh, who was tortured for protesting against Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann. The government's job is to answer to the people, not to crush those who ask questions. May Gulzar Singh ji's family get justice as soon as possible. The Chief Minister should immediately demand the Finance Minister's resignation and ensure an independent and impartial investigation, with his name registered in the FIR," Gandhi said.
The Congress party said the people of Punjab will vote out the AAP in the election scheduled in a few months from now.
The latest government data shows a sharp increase in the number of people seeking treatment at state-run deaddiction and rehabilitation centres. Admissions at government deaddiction centres jumped from 9,577 in 2024 to 25,290 in 2025, an increase of over 164 per cent. More than 14,000 patients had already been admitted till July, indicating that the surge has continued this year.
