“The emergency room must conduct a comprehensive investigation to reveal the extent of collusion,” said Sunil Jakhar, president of the BHARATIYA JANATA Party (BJP). File | Photo source: X/Sunil Jakhar by ANI
Punjab Balatya Janata (BJP) President Sunil Jakhar launched a severe attack on Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Monday (May 19, 2025), accusing the AAM AAP government of “outsourced the Punjab party in Punjab to Punjab, which Punjab outsourced it to its owner”. He claims that this administrative model has caused widespread chaos in the state, and the recent Amritsar Hooch tragedy is a serious manifestation of the so-called administrative failure.
Mr. Jagal, accompanied by a delegation of senior BJP leaders, called on Punjab Governor Gulab Chand Kataria, urging the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to investigate the tragedy so far, which has claimed 27 lives.
“In view of the hooch tragedy in Amritsar, we ask the CBI to investigate possible links between the AAP leadership and the alcoholic mafia in Punjab,” Mr. Jacques told Mediapersons after the meeting.
The BJP delegation submitted a detailed memorandum to the governor seeking an investigation by the Enforcement Bureau (ED) to “connections” between the Punjab leadership and the illegal alcohol network called AAP. “The emergency room must conduct a comprehensive investigation to reveal the extent of collusion,” Jagal said.
He described the incident as an “avoidable tragedy” and claimed that under AAP’s 2022 alcohol policy (with Delhi’s GST policy as a counterfeit), the alcohol distribution quota – worthy of review. “It is necessary to check who benefits from these quotas and to what extent,” he said.
After the tragedy, the opposition strengthened its criticism of the AAP government and called on Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann to take full responsibility.
The state government has announced and allocated Rs 1 million to the families of the deceased and guaranteed the strictest litigation against the participants. Punjab police conducted two separate FIRs in Amritsar (rural) under Article 105 (not a murder case) and 103 (murderable homicide) of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Several arrests have been made in connection with this case.
publishing – May 19, 2025, 7:54 pm IST
