Battle far from over, AAP govt claims belie reality: Villagers

The war against drugs is far from over as the big fish involved in the smuggling of narcotics are still operating with impunity, opined several people who attended a government programme against the menace here.

The event was held at Jodhan town, 20 km from industrial city Ludhiana, as part of the state government’s “Nasha Mukti Yatra”.

It was attended by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal, along with a battery of party leaders.

While Mann and Kejriwal said the government had achieved major success in the drive against drugs, villagers present at the venue claimed otherwise.

Hundreds of people were brought to the event in buses from nearby Narangwal, Thakkarwal, Jodhan, Mansuran, Kila Raipur and Chupki villages.

However, the media was “prevented” from talking to those present. After the programme, Baljit Singh, sarpanch of Chupki village, said drugs were “easily available” in his area.

‘Peddling rampant’

Sardul Singh (name changed), a 70-year-old resident of a village near Jodhan, said the situation was so bad that some youngsters in his village recently stole an iron gate of a cremation ground and sold it in the market to arrange money to buy drugs.

“They often turn violent when stopped from selling or purchasing drugs,” said the elderly man, whose village was declared “drug-free” during the event.

A zila parishad member from Narangwal Kalan village, Prabhdeep Narangwal, alleged that the government had failed to take action against the big fish.

He alleged that “addicts were being implicated in fake cases”.

He said at least three residents of his village had been regularly supplying drugs in the area but the police, “despite registering cases against them, did not try to establish their crime trail”.

Near the venue, a man was seen lying on the road under the influence of liquor. Lacho, a resident of Narangwal, said if drugs were not easily available, the youth resorted to liquor.

Meanwhile, mediapersons were made to sit in a separate enclosure. Once the function was over, both Kejriwal and Mann left the venue without interacting with them.

At the programme, Kejriwal lauded the state government for launching the anti-drug drive, which he said had no parallel in the country.

Kejriwal said the state government would follow the twin policy of checking the drug smuggling and chanelling the energy of the youth in the right direction.

Punjab