AAP attacks BJP’s anti-drug march, seeks answers on supply networks, water rights

Ahead of the BJP’s anti-drug yatras, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Wednesday intensified its attack on the party, asking it to answer three fundamental questions concerning the supply of drugs and Punjab’s waters before staging a political march in the state.

Addressing a press conference here, cabinet minister Harpal Singh Cheema asked the BJP why it had failed to stop drug consignments linked to Gujarat and Rajasthan; why it was targeting Punjab when the state’s 55-km international border belt fell under the BSF; and why it wanted Punjab’s water to flow to Haryana and Rajasthan. He said the BJP must first act against drug networks in its own-ruled states, secure the border under the Centre’s responsibility and clarify its stand on Punjab’s rights before attempting to lecture Punjab on the drug menace. “They must do this before taking out a march,” he added.

Cheema claimed that the period between 2007 and 2017, when the SAD-BJP government was in power in Punjab, witnessed a major expansion of the drug problem in the state. “The term ‘chitta’ emerged, and became widely associated with the drug crisis during that period, and drugs were being openly distributed across Punjab. Government vehicles were also being misused for drug trafficking. When investigations into drug-related cases were underway, an ED officer was transferred from Jalandhar,” he alleged.

The AAP leader said the Bhagwant Mann government, on the other hand, had taken action against drug traffickers and strengthened the capabilities of the Punjab Police by introducing anti-drone systems to counter the smuggling of drugs through drones. “We are taking action against drug traffickers while also ensuring treatment for people suffering from drug addiction,” he said.

AAP attacks BJP’s anti-drug march, seeks answers on supply networks, water rights

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