Rahul Gandhi Demands Punjab Finance Minister's Resignation After Dalit Man's Suicide Over Drug Crisis
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Summarized by AI; it may make mistakes. Check important info
Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi has demanded the immediate resignation of Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema, holding the administration directly responsible for the death of Gulzar Singh. The fifty-year-old Dalit resident of Sangrur district consumed pesticide after allegedly facing intense intimidation and humiliation for questioning the ruling Aam Aadmi Party government over its failure to curb the state's rampant drug menace.
Gandhi called for an independent, impartial probe into the incident and insisted that Cheema's name be formally registered in the First Information Report.
Escalating Political Tensions
The tragedy has triggered a fierce political storm in Punjab, with opposition parties accusing the administration of using state machinery and intimidation to silence grieving families and citizens raising legitimate governance concerns. Gandhi on X drew parallels to a separate recent incident involving a young man named Mohanjeet Singh, who was allegedly targeted for protesting against Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann.
"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 stated. He maintained that public representatives are duty-bound to answer citizens rather than suppress dissent through harassment.
"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 added.
A Father's Final Plea
Before losing his life, Gulzar Singh recorded a video statement detailing the events that led to his fatal step. He accused the local village sarpanch and police authorities of mounting severe pressure on him after he publicly confronted Cheema about the unchecked availability of narcotics.
"My son takes drugs. My house was sold. I don't have anything and finally now I have consumed poison," Singh said in his final testimony, adding that the state government had failed entirely to dismantle local drug networks that have devastated families across the region.
