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BJP will wipe out entire drug network within 2 years if voted to power: Shivraj Singh Chouhan
Union agriculture minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said the problem of drug availability continues to hurt Punjab because the Bhagwant Mann government has “failed to act”.
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Union agriculture minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said on Monday that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leadership is committed to replicate its legacy of good governance model in different states to dismantle the narcotic trade chain in Punjab within two years.
Addressing a public gathering at Maiser Khana village after paying obeisance at the Takht Damdama Sahib located in Talwandi Sabo, Chouhan said that the BJP-led governments at the Centre and states have shown that development is possible after curbing the law and order situation with political commitment.
After flagging off the fourth and last of the BJP’s statewide anti-drug campaign ‘Nasha Mukt Punjab Yatra’, Chouhan said the problem of drug availability continues to hurt Punjab because the Bhagwant Mann government has “failed to act”. He charged the Punjab political dispensation with patronising drug trafficking, adding that it was evident because the Aam Aadmi Party leadership “failed” to keep its pre-poll promise of curbing narcotics.
“I served as Madhya Pradesh chief minister for 17 years and made the state free from the notorious clutches of dacoits within six months. I had given the state police a task to wipe out the violent groups and it was accomplished within six months. Unfortunately, the AAP government failed to do so in Punjab as it lacked seriousness to combat the issues which have hit the younger generation,” said the veteran BJP leader.
He claimed that the support for the ongoing ‘Nasha Mukt Punjab Yatra’ indicates that Punjabis “want to get rid of the AAP government because it failed to provide reprieve to the state from narcotics”.
Striking an emotional note with the gathering, Chouhan said he would act as a change agent, as ‘mama’ or the maternal uncle for Punjabis, to show the BJP’s serious commitment to rid Punjab of the drug nuisance through political governance.
“The BJP-led Union government completely controlled Naxalism before the deadline set for March this year that had gripped several states for decades. Uttar Pradesh is another example where Yogi Adityanath dismantled the organised crime syndicate. I reiterate Union Home minister Amit Shah’s earlier announcement that drug trafficking will be handled with an iron hand and completely controlled within two years after assuming power in Punjab,” said the minister.
He asserted that no power in the world can compromise the interests of the farmers of Punjab and the country as long as Narendra Modi is the Prime Minister, while addressing concerns over free trade agreements .
On the occasion, Chouhan and other BJP leaders met women whose family members died due to drug abuse and ensured that the party has a vision to curb the prevailing nuisance.
Drug problem saw sharp increase in Punjab under AAP: Saini
Press Trust of India
Fazilka: Haryana chief minister Nayab Singh Saini on Monday accused the Aam Aadmi Party government in Punjab of not fulfilling the promises it made to the people, including eradicating the drug problem, which he claimed increased sharply under the AAP rule.
Saini said the AAP made tall promises to the people of Punjab before coming to power, including eradicating the drug menace, employing the youth and procuring farmers’ produce, but even after nearly five years, these promises remained unfulfilled. He also accused the AAP of betraying the women, farmers and the poor.
Addressing an event at Sito in Punjab’s Fazilka district as part of the BJP’s 13-day ‘Nasha Mukt Punjab Yatra’, Saini claimed it was unfortunate that the AAP made the promises just to secure votes.
He claimed that the drug menace in Punjab increased fourfold, just as the state’s debt did, during the AAP’s tenure.
Referring to CM Bhagwant Mann’s earlier remark that AAP lacked experience when it came to power in Punjab but now it had gained the same, Saini said, “Mann Sahib, you have gained experience in increasing the drug problem, trapping youth in drugs and increasing corruption in the state.”
“Bhagwant Mann and Arvind Kejriwal had promised to eradicate drugs within three to six months of coming to power in Punjab, procure farmers’ produce at MSP and provide three lakh jobs, but the reality is there for everyone to see,” he added.
Referring to the Punjab government’s ‘Yudh Nashian Virudh’ campaign, Saini alleged that the AAP wants to eradicate drugs by spending people’s money on television advertisements, even as the menace increased on the ground.
“If the BJP forms the government in Punjab, stringent action would be taken against all the drug offenders,” Saini said.
