Punjab president of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Kewal Singh Dhillon on Friday said the party would work to eradicate drugs from Punjab, comparing the challenge with what he described as the BJP’s handling of Naxalism and gangsterism elsewhere in the country.
Speaking during a press conference in Ludhiana, Dhillon appealed to people to unite against drug abuse. The BJP’s ongoing ‘Nasha Mukt Punjab Yatra’ began in Punjab on September 18 and will cover all 117 assembly constituencies before culminating in Jalandhar on September 30.
Dhillon alleged that the Punjab government had failed to deliver on its claims of eliminating drugs and said a “sixth river” of drugs was flowing in the state. He linked drug abuse among youngsters to economic backwardness and also alleged that women who raised their voices against drugs had complained of harassment by family and police.
17 families from Ludhiana and Jagraon who lost their loved ones because of drug abuse attended the event.
Shindo Bai of Jagraon said she had lost four sons to drugs.
One Varsha of Manohar Nagar alleged that her husband had been consuming and selling drugs for around a decade and claimed she faced difficulties whenever she approached the police.
Newspaper reports and photographs of Ludhiana residents who had allegedly died of drug abuse were placed on vacant chairs. Dhillon said that the vacant chairs represent lives that could have been saved through effective action.
Balwinder Kaur of Manjit Nagar claimed around 50 people had died due to drugs in her neighbourhood and alleged that drugs were being sold openly. Another resident claimed 10-12 people had died in the area and alleged that people opposing drug dealers were targeted.
These allegations could not be independently verified.
BJP leaders leave yatra vehicle after face-off with rival group
Amritsar
Factional friction within the BJP’s Amritsar North unit surfaced as former Rajya Sabha member Shwait Malik, Halqa in-charge Sukhminder Singh Pintu and city president Salil Kapoor got down from the lead vehicle after a face-off with supporters of party leader Akshay Sharma. Sharma had gathered supporters at Mai Bhago College, but the vehicle bypassed the spot. Sharma later boarded it. Union Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal, who flagged off the yatra, lashed out at the AAP government over the drug issue and said once the “double-engine” government is formed in the state after the assembly polls, decisive steps will be taken with a concrete roadmap to make the state drug-free.
Sangrur
BJP leaders faced a protest by farmer-union members during the yatra at Sultanpur village in Dhuri constituency. Farmers showed black flags and raised issues over non-stoppage of trains at their village and cases against farmers. BKU (Ekta Ugrahan) leader Jarnail Singh called the yatra a political exercise. BJP leader Ravneet Singh Bittu said farmers had raised the railway issue earlier and maintained that a revised timetable was being prepared to restore halts where trains do not stop.