Srinagar :Drug smuggler, terrorist two sides of same coin, says LG

Sinha urged the people to strike the final blow against drug abuse. “Together we dismantle the narco-terror network and save our young generation from addiction

Drug smuggler, terrorist two sides of same coin: LG

Lieutenant governor of Jammu and Kashmir Manoj Sinha takes an oath while addressing the public gathering during the 'Padyatra' under the 'Drug-Free J&K' campaign, in Pulwama on Tuesday. (ANI Photo))

HT Correspondent

Srinagar: Lieutenant governor Manoj Sinha on Tuesday said that for decades drug smuggling in Jammu and Kashmir was treated as a mere local crime but its part of terrorism.

“People must now realise that the drug smuggler and the terrorist are two sides of the same coin,” he said while leading a “padyatra” in South Kashmir’s Pulwama town as part of 100 day Nasha Mukt campaign that was launched on April 11 across 20 districts of UT which has seen huge public participation.

“Drug smugglers profit by destroying the futures of our youth and the terror outfits use that money to fuel terrorism and radicalisation,” he said.

Sinha urged the people to strike the final blow against drug abuse. “Together we dismantle the narco-terror network and save our young generation from addiction. This past month, Jammu Kashmir has witnessed public spirit awaken. In Baramulla I saw thousands raising their voices against drugs. Similarly, in Jammu, Samba, Udhampur, Kathua, Srinagar and other districts I saw young people and parents resolutely committed to this fight,” he said.

Sinha said that over the last 39 days, across different districts of Jammu Kashmir, neighbours became each other’s support and most importantly long-standing silence that hung over UT began to break.

“Today that silence has turned into a loud, collective outcry against drugs. Our fight is against a vast narco-terror network fueled by fear, greed, and destruction. In Pulwama alone, more than 11,000 local events have been organized in recent days. FIRs have been registered against 48 drug smugglers, and 56 drug traffickers have been arrested. These figures show we are striking directly at the roots of terror.”

He warned the narco-terror ecosystem that they no longer can hide and the law enforcement agencies are on their trail. “We will hunt you down even in your deepest hideouts. Our mission is not just arrests but the complete destruction of the narco-terror empire and tearing out the very roots from which this poison spreads,” he said.