E-Paper
Fight is against drugs, not any party or individual: Kejriwal
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday said they are fighting against drugs and not any party or a leader
Patiala : Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday said they are fighting against drugs and not any party or a leader.
Addressing a gathering after launching health-related projects worth ₹550 crore in Patiala, Kejriwal, without taking any name, said: “Three-four days back, a very big person was caught who was facing an accusation of drug trafficking. All the parties are targeting Bhagwant Mann, asking him why he did it. I want to ask whether drug traffickers should be arrested or not. Whether drug traffickers should be put behind bars or not?”
The AAP supremo’s remarks came days after the arrest of Congress MLA Sukhpal Khaira in connection with a 2015 drugs case on September 28. The move triggered a political firestorm, with Punjab Congress leaders launching a scathing attack on the AAP government, terming Khaira’s arrest as a ‘political vendetta’.
Both the Congress and the AAP are part of the opposition INDIA bloc that seeks to put up a united fight against the BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
Kejriwal said there will be no compromise on drugs and also appealed to all political parties to support AAP in the fight against drugs. “I want to tell all these parties that we have no fight against any party. Our fight is not against any leader. We are not against anyone. We are against drugs,” he said.
Drugs have destroyed our youth and an entire generation. We will not tolerate drugs at any cost. There was a time when Punjab was known for drugs and movies were also being made on the drugs issue,” said Kejriwal.
Lauding chief minister Bhagwant Mann and his government over the steps taken to curb the drug menace in the state, Kejriwal said the Punjab Police have launched a war against drugs in the last 3-4 months.
Speaking on the occasion, CM Mann said the Opposition parties in Punjab are baffled as the AAP is fulfilling its pre-poll promises, be it free power, quality education or health services. He said there can be delay in implementation, but every promise will be fulfilled.
Mann said the AAP government has so far given 36,521 jobs in the first 18 months of its tenure thereby setting a record of providing government service to 2,000 youth every month. He reiterated that merit and transparency have been the twin pillars based on which jobs have been given to the youth across the state.
The CM said the will soon give entire details of the ₹50,000 crore spent in the state to governor Banwarilal Purohit. He said the governor never bothered to seek these details from his predecessors. “But still, we will give all details to him soon. The money has been optimally spent for the welfare of the people,” he added.
Youths to get permits to run buses from rural areas to cities: Mann
He said due to concerted efforts of the state government, Punjab has emerged as the most preferred investment destination in the country. “Punjab has so far attracted Investment worth ₹50,871 crore which will create 2.89 lakh additional jobs for youngsters,” said the CM. The Punjab government will soon offer permits to youth for operating mini-buses from rural areas to cities. The CM said 2,000-3,000 buses will be given to the youth of the state by the Punjab government, thereby ushering in a new era of unprecedented development.
