With 4 deaths in the last 48 hours in Punjab due to drug abuse, the Aam Admi Party, which came to power on a promise of making Punjab free from the menace, stands completely exposed.
Arvind Kejriwal and his puppet CM in Punjab, Bhagwant Mann, have so far only done lip service towards the eradication of the scourge of drug menace in the border state of Punjab. Drug menace has been the biggest challenge for Punjab in recent decades, with youth in the state severely affected. AAP has exploited the issue to the fullest, promising to take stern action, which also rode them to power in the state in 2022. CM Bhagwant Mann even promised to make Punjab drug-free within three months.
But the promise proved to be a farce from day one. Four youngsters falling in the age group of twenties passed away due to drug abuse within a span of 48 hours in Lakho ke Behram village situated along the Ferozepur-Fazilka road in Ferozepur district. The family members of the deceased boys blocked the highway for several hours seeking justice.
The sale of drugs have become rampant in Punjab with reports from various agencies confirming it being sold even through chemist shops. The government-controlled liquor vends have also been accused of selling drugs. Only some time ago, as many as 66 liquor vends in Ludhiana district were found to be selling drugs, leading to their seizure.
Significantly, even the earlier Punjab Governor Banwarilal Purohit had warned AAP leader and CM Bhagwant Mann of drastic action if the latter did not send him a report concerning the action taken by him on the drug menace. It is noteworthy that despite several letters from the governor’s office, Punjab CM and AAP leader Bhagwant Mann did not respond, only trying to hide his failures.
Interestingly, a report of the Parliamentary Standing Committee sometime back, revealed that one in five people in Punjab is exposed or addicted to drugs. Before clinching power, AAP leaders have been blaming the past Akali and Congress governments of promoting drug menace in the state.
After losing Delhi to BJP, Arvind Kejriwal in order to safeguard the credibility of his government in Punjab, recently started “War against Drugs” campaign. But the campaign proved to be a publicity stunt and failed to make an impact on ground, which is evidently seen in Ferozepur deaths incident.
