CHANDIGARH: Punjab Congress MLA Pargat Singh in a protest march from Congress Bhawan in Chandigarh demanded justice for late Gulzar Singh and calling for the dismissal and arrest of Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema over allegations surrounding the circumstances preceding Gulzar Singh’s death.
Pargat Singh said the protest was aimed at seeking accountability in a matter that has raised serious questions about the Punjab government’s response to complaints concerning the drug menace. He alleged that Gulzar Singh had raised concerns about drugs and sought the attention of the government, but his concerns were not adequately addressed.
The Congress MLA questioned why an FIR had not been registered against Harpal Cheema despite the allegations being raised publicly. He demanded that the government explain what action was taken after Gulzar Singh allegedly approached the minister with concerns relating to the drug situation.
Pargat Singh said the issue could not be brushed aside as merely a political controversy. When an ordinary citizen raises serious allegations before the government and subsequently dies by suicide, he said, the entire sequence of events must be examined through an impartial and transparent investigation.
The Congress leaders demanded that Cheema be removed from the Council of Ministers and that the police conduct a fair investigation into the allegations. They maintained that political position must not become a shield against accountability and that the same law must apply to ministers and ordinary citizens alike.
Pargat Singh also attacked the Punjab government’s handling of the drug crisis, arguing that repeated claims of a decisive “war against drugs” must be matched by concrete action. He said the government cannot claim success merely by announcing campaigns or displaying drug recoveries while families across Punjab continue to face the consequences of addiction and drug-related deaths.
The protestors demanded that the investigation into Gulzar Singh’s death examine all relevant communications, complaints, meetings and other available evidence to establish the circumstances leading up to his death. They also called for protection of evidence and an investigation free from political interference.
Pargat Singh said the family of Gulzar Singh deserves answers and justice and that the matter should not be allowed to disappear from public debate because allegations have been levelled against a senior minister.
The protest reflects the growing political confrontation between the Punjab Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party government over the drug crisis, governance and accountability. Congress leaders said they would continue to raise the issue both inside and outside the Punjab Assembly until the government provides answers.
The Congress leaders reiterated that their demand was for justice, transparency and accountability, and that anyone found responsible after a proper investigation should face action under the law.
The allegations against Harpal Singh Cheema remain subject to investigation and due legal process. Any criminal responsibility must ultimately be established by the competent investigating and judicial authorities.