The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) today slammed the SAD-BJP government over the reported drowning of at least 24 Punjabi youths near Panama, alleging that it has failed to check the "immigration mafia" in the state.
The mafia of travel agents in Punjab not only lures the youth to shell out hefty sums but also put their lives in danger, while promising to fulfil their dreams of settling abroad, AAP's Punjab Convener Sucha Singh Chhotepur said here.
He was referring to the incident in which over 20 youths from Punjab have reportedly drowned near Panama, when the boat in which they were travelling from a port town called Turbo, capsized on its journey towards the United States of America.
Chhotepur said that while his party was still trying to get more details on the Panama boat tragedy from both the Centre and the state government, media reports suggest that "well oiled" illegal immigration business was proliferating in Punjab "under the nose of Parkash Singh Badal-led government".
The AAP convener went on to say that it is "laughable" to learn that deputy chief minister Sukhbir Badal is in touch with the MEA to send a team of police officers to Panama to inquire about the boat tragedy.
"What kind of inquiry does the police intend to do in Panama? If Sukhbir was serious about the issue he could have dealt the immigration mafia with an iron hand being the home minister of Punjab," he said.
He said the AAP leadership would soon approach the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) to send a party delegation to Panama to gather information about the boat tragedy.
The delegation would submit a detailed report to the party leadership suggesting ways and means to ensure such incidents don't occur in future.
"Unfortunately the mafia has been proliferating in Punjab with the tacit support of the SAD-BJP government and with the active backing of Punjab Police officials," he alleged.
"Otherwise, why has Punjab police failed to act against the travel agents based on hundreds of complaints pending in various police stations across the state," he asked.
The Akali government has failed to implement the Punjab Travel Professionals' Regulation Act, 2012, under which all travel agents must be registered with the government. As a result, now a large number of agents are operating illegally without being registered under the Act, he claimed.
AAP leaders said that the party would soon constitute a wing which would reach out to the families in Punjab, whose members have been stuck on foreign lands due to lack of documentation. "We will see if we can help them come back to Punjab," Chhotepur added.
