CALLS FOR RESIGNATION OF EXCISE MINISTER AND CHIEF MINISTER, SEEKS RS 25 LAKH COMPENSATION AND JOBS FOR VICTIM FAMILIES, RS 5 LAKH FOR MARTYRS, RS 10 LAKH FOR VICTIMS OF SPURIOUS LIQUOR—WHAT KIND OF JUSTICE IS THIS?” BRAHMPURA QUESTIONS GOVERNMENT PRIORITIES
Face2News/Tarn Taran
Addressing reporters in Khadoor Sahib, Shiromani Akali Dal Vice President and Assembly Constituency In-Charge, former MLA Ravinder Singh Brahmpura strongly condemned the Punjab government’s handling of the recent spurious liquor tragedy in Majitha, which has resulted in multiple fatalities. He asserted that Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has failed to provide effective governance, remarking that decisions appear to be taken at the behest of Delhi, with the Chief Minister reduced to a mere puppet. The incident in Majitha represents a new low in administrative failure and exposes the government’s inability to control the spread of illicit liquor.
Pointing to the situation in his own constituency, Brahmpura highlighted the ongoing neglect of basic amenities and the lack of meaningful development. Despite the passage of time, residents continue to be deprived of necessary facilities, with little tangible response from the Chief Minister’s office.
Brahmpura drew attention to what he called glaring double standards in victim compensation. He questioned the logic of awarding only Rs 5 lakh to families of war martyrs, while approving Rs 10 lakh for victims of the Majitha liquor tragedy—a situation that directly resulted from administrative negligence and breakdown of official machinery. He argued that these measures seem more designed to mask governmental shortcomings and protect those involved with the liquor mafia, rather than provide genuine relief or justice to affected families. He further recalled the state’s lack of sensitivity in the case of the young fireman Gagandeep Singh from Moga, who died heroically while earning a mere Rs 10,000 monthly salary, yet his family received no aid. In sharp contrast, he noted, leaders such as Jammu & Kashmir’s Chief Minister Omar Abdullah have acted swiftly and compassionately in comparable crises, offering substantial compensation—setting a standard the Mann government fails to meet. He also praised the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee for extending support to victims’ families in Poonch, urging Punjab’s leadership to draw lessons from such proactive initiatives.
Reflecting on previous tragedies, Brahmpura noted the heavy politicization of the spurious liquor disaster in Tarn Taran-Amritsar-Gurdaspur in 2020 by the current Chief Minister, who was then in opposition. Today, under his administration, similar incidents like those in Sangrur (2024) and Majitha have continued, with allegations of local police complicity persisting and investigative processes such as SIT inquiries serving only as token gestures, rarely resulting in accountability for those at the top.
Brahmpura called for a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) inquiry into the Majitha incident, with oversight from a sitting High Court judge, to bring transparency and expose the links between the government and the liquor mafia. He demanded that families of victims be granted no less than Rs 25 lakh in compensation, that government jobs be offered to one member of each bereaved household, and that the true perpetrators be apprehended and tried in fast-track courts. On ethical grounds, Brahmpura maintained that the Excise Minister and Chief Minister must accept responsibility and step down without delay.
At the event, Brahmpura was joined by a significant gathering of local residents and party supporters, including Megh Singh, Ranjeet Singh Pappu, Gajjan Singh, Kashmir Singh, Iqbal Singh Bamra, Dalbir Singh Dhadi, Sarup Singh, Jaswinder Singh, Jagir Singh Dubai, Sahib Singh Bittu, Paramjit Singh, Gurcharan Singh Rinku, among others.
