ThePrint ·
Politics
BJP’s ‘Nasha Mukt Punjab Yatra’ is ‘political nautanki’: AAP
Chandigarh, Sep 17 (PTI) Punjab AAP leader Baltej Pannu on Thursday slammed the BJP for its ‘Nasha Mukt Punjab Yatra’, calling it “political nautanki” and questioning the party’s silence when it was a partner in power in Punjab during 2007-17, the period, he said, when “‘chitta’ emerged and spread across the state”.
Pannu questioned why the BJP is selectively targeting Punjab while remaining silent on “drug-affected” states, including neighbouring Haryana.
The state unit’s media in-charge said all sensitive districts of Punjab are border districts under the Border Security Force (BSF) and the BJP must explain what it is doing to stop drugs from entering the state, instead of using the issue to defame Punjab.
The reality on the ground is reflected in Punjab’s growing sporting culture, with more than 25,000 youth participating in the Bathinda run and 3,100 sports grounds built across the state, around 750 of which have already been dedicated to the people, he said.
Pannu said, “Every effort against drugs is welcome, but the BJP must first answer for its own record. The BJP was a partner in the Punjab government from 2007 to 2017, precisely during the period when the menace of ‘chitta’ (synthetic drugs) emerged and spread across Punjab.
“Today, the same BJP is undertaking a ‘Nasha Mukt Punjab Yatra’. Why did the BJP not undertake any yatra, campaign or sustained pressure against drugs when it was itself in the government?” he asked.
He alleged that the impact of the drug crisis during that period was devastating.
“Young people were dying from overdoses, which were often described publicly as ‘silent heart attacks’. The situation had reached a stage where even de-addiction facilities for women had to be opened during the Akali-BJP government. Where was the BJP’s concern for Punjab’s youth at that time?” he asked.
The BJP is now selectively highlighting Punjab while remaining silent about drug-affected districts in BJP-ruled states, Pannu said.
A recent report mentions 73 ultra-sensitive districts, of which six are in Punjab. Several other districts mentioned in the report are located in other states, but the BJP continues to focus its political narrative only on Punjab, he rued.
“If the BJP is genuinely concerned about drugs, it should address the entire national drug problem instead of using the issue to defame Punjab. Why is the BJP silent about the drug situation in states where it is in power? Why is Punjab being selectively targeted?” he asked.
The BJP’s ‘Nasha Mukt Punjab Yatra’ will start on September 18. BJP president Nitin Nabin will flag off the yatra from Pathankot, while Union Home Minister Amit Shah will address its culmination in Jalandhar on September 30. PTI CHS KSS KSS
This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.
