Punjab to start mass anti-drug drive, drug census from April 1: Kejriwal
Former Delhi chief minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday said a mass movement against drugs will be launched and a drug census will be carried out to identify addicts to provide them with proper treatment in Punjab from April 1
Ludhiana : Former Delhi chief minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday said a mass movement against drugs will be launched and a drug census will be carried out to identify addicts to provide them with proper treatment in Punjab from April 1.
He also released an anti-drug helpline number 9779100200 and exhorted the people to give information related to selling of drugs in their area on this number.
Addressing a gathering in Indoor Stadium at Pakhowal Road in Ludhiana, Kejriwal lauded the Bhagwant Mann government for the ongoing anti-drug drive and said that anti-national forces were rattled by this campaign. He said the AAP government is taking unprecedented action against drug trafficking.
“We have declared a war on drugs. You can see this war unfolding over the past 20 days as houses of major drug smugglers are being demolished by bulldozers. Huge quantities of drugs worth crores have been seized. For the first time, a government has dared to confront these smugglers head-on,” Kejriwal said.
He added that drugs are being sold in many states, including Haryana, Gujarat and Delhi, but no party or government there dares to take action against the drug smugglers. “It is only the AAP government in Punjab that has waged a war against the drug menace,” he said.
About 70% of drugs and narcotics are coming from Pakistan through drones, he said. Ever since the war against drugs started, Pakistani smugglers have been unable to find people to collect the drugs dropped by drones, he added.
Kejriwal said an anti-drone system is being purchased, which will be deployed at the international border to prevent the smuggling of drugs via drones.
He said 5,000 home guards are being recruited, who will work with the Border Security Force (BSF) to prevent drug smuggling into the state.
“Each Punjabi must turn this war into a mass movement. Our AAP workers will visit villages and mohallas to spread awareness. Our MLAs and ministers will visit each village. I and Mann Saab will also go to raise awareness among the people. We have to make it a mass movement and wipe out drugs from Punjab,” he said.
“When three crore people of Punjab rise, these smugglers will have nowhere to hide,” he added.
The former Delhi chief minister said each village will have sporting facilities to keep the youth engaged so that they do not fall into the trap of drugs.
Kejriwal also announced that a drug census will be carried out to identify drug addicts and provide treatment for them.
“Those who are doing drugs need to be embraced. A drug census will be conducted by visiting door-to-door. Those conducting the census will ask if anyone in the house is affected by drugs. If someone is using drugs, arrangements for treatment will be made. Their identity will be kept secret,” he said.
Kejriwal criticised previous governments for their alleged role in spreading drugs. “Drugs didn’t originate in Punjab. We all know which party’s ministers distributed drugs to every household for money. They destroyed an entire generation,” he said.
Kejriwal also slammed opposition leaders for making “false” promises. “A former CM swore on the ‘Gutka Sahib’ to eradicate drugs in four weeks but did not even step out of his house for five years while the drug trade flourished,” the AAP leader said.
Earlier, chief minister Bhagwant Mann and Kejriwal dedicated the renovated civil hospital to the people.
Warring takes jibe at Kejriwal, Mann
Punjab Congress president and member of Parliament Amarinder Singh Raja Warring took a dig at the AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal and chief minister Bhagwant Mann for roaming around in Ludhiana streets in a desperate bid to create a Rajya Sabha vacancy for the former Delhi chief minister.
He said the AAP leadership was staring at an imminent defeat in Ludhiana West byelection and that is why its two senior-most leaders, Kejriwal and Mann, had started camping here even though the byelection had not been announced.
Ashu flays CM
Punjab Congress working president Bharat Bhushan Ashu flayed chief minister Bhagwant Mann for allegedly saying that the vigilance bureau case is still ongoing and that Ashu was out on bail. In reality, the case had been quashed by the Punjab and Haryana high court, Ashu said.
Accusing Mann of personal vendetta, Ashu pointed out that Mann’s specific reference to the case as “my case” suggested an admission of a politically motivated action against him. Ashu clarified that not only had the high court granted him bail, but it had also quashed the case registered against him by the government.
