Pathankot, Sept. 18 -- The Bharatiya Janata Party has made a political offensive against the ruling Aam Aadmi Party by turning the drug problem in Punjab into a political tool. On Friday, the national president of the party, Nitin Nabin, launched the 'Nasha Mukt Punjab Yatra' in the state from Pathankot and accused the Bhagwant Mann government of protecting drug mafias.

Starting from four places - Pathankot, Fatehgarh Sahib, Sadqi Border in Fazilka and Takht Sri Damdama Sahib - the yatra will tour the Malwa, Majha and Doaba areas. Nabin claimed that the campaign would not be aimed at those who sell drugs alone, but at the whole supply chain of drug smugglers and suppliers in Punjab.

Speaking to the Assembly at Pathankot following a visit to families hit hard by the scourge of drugs, Nabin said that the AAP government has made "empty promises in the name of Yudh Nashe Virudh campaign," while in the opinion of the BJP government, the drug mafia is allowed to flourish with the political backing of the ruling party. He vowed that the BJP will turn the drug problem into a people's movement.

Nabin proposed a five-pronged strategy focusing on taking tough action against drug mafias, breaking their supply chain, seizing assets and money earned from the illegal business, helping people who were addicted to drugs get proper treatment, and involving parents, teachers, doctors, sportspersons, religious organisations, social organisations and young people in the fight against drugs.

To give the fight against drug abuse an emotional-political angle, the President of the BJP talked about his visit to some families in Punjab.

According to him, mothers have lost their sons, sisters have lost their brothers, and parents have lost their loved ones to drugs.

Nabin talked about one such instance where a woman belonging to Sultanpur Lodhi had lost all her five sons to drug abuse. Then there was also another case where the father of two dead sons, who himself was labouring in fields, had the anxiety of marrying off his three daughters.

Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.