New Delhi [India], September 30 (ANI): Congress leader Sachin Pilot on Wednesday slammed remarks of Home Minister Amit Shah during his rally in Jalandhar as part of the BJP’s Nasha Mukt Punjab Yatra and alleged that the BJP-led government at the Centre has failed to curb smuggling at the border, and “massive quantities of drugs are entering” the state.
Talking to reporters here, Pilot, who is AICC incharge of Punjab, said the anti-drug march organised by the BJP was “a complete failure”.
He said people have trust only in Congress.
“The people of Punjab have already given a fitting reply to the claims made by the Home Minister. The anti-drug march organised by the BJP was a complete failure because the public has no faith in it. You have failed to curb smuggling at the border, and massive quantities of drugs are entering from there,” Pilot said.
“So, if the Ministry of Defence and the Ministry of Home Affairs are unable to perform their duties, how can one believe their claim that they will make Punjab drug-free? If the people there place their trust in anyone, it is in the Congress,” he added.
He said drugs crossing India’s borders are directly the responsibility of the Central government.
“But the drugs that have reached Punjab’s borders and are available in villages, streets, cities and towns can only spread when there is a nexus between the administration, machinery, police and politicians,” Pilot said.
On allegations by Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan that the Aam Aadmi Party was involved in drug trade, Pilot said the issue involved both border security and the state’s enforcement mechanism.
He alleged that the AAP government had failed to fulfil its earlier promise of making Punjab drug-free within three months.
“When the Aam Aadmi Party government was formed, it had promised that Punjab would be drug-free in three months. Nearly five years have passed today, and the situation has become worse than before,” he said.
Pilot also questioned the figures released by the state government regarding arrests and action against drug networks, saying the claims were misleading.
On the INDIA bloc’s decision to press for resignation of CEC Gyanesh Kumar and demand for voting on basis of pre-SIR lists, Pilot said the matter concerned the entire country.
“This is not just about one party or the INDIA alliance. This is about the entire country. Votes of 13 crore people have been cancelled, and the SIR process is being questioned,” he said.
He also said that the removal and addition of names in electoral rolls was being carried out in a manner that was unacceptable.
Sachin Pilot also attended a meeting at the AICC office which was also attended by KC Venugopal, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Jairam Ramesh and some other senior leaders.
Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday alleged that the AAP government in Punjab had allowed the trade of “chitta” (synthetic drugs) to flourish openly and vowed that the BJP would make Punjab free from the drug trade by December 31, 2029, if voted to power.
Addressing the BJP’s Nasha Mukt Punjab Yatra in Jalandhar, Shah said the BJP would make a drug-free Punjab the central issue of its campaign in the upcoming Assembly election.
“Why has the time come today to make Punjab drug-free? Because the AAP government allowed the trade of chitta (synthetic drugs) to flourish openly,” Shah said.
He added, “I have come today to tell the people of Punjab that in the Punjab elections, there are many issues—farmers’ issues, industry issues, law and order issues, women’s safety issues. But in the upcoming election, the Bharatiya Janata Party is going to fight solely and purely on the issue of a drug-free Punjab, for a drug-free Punjab.”
Shah also appealed to the people of Punjab to support the BJP and said the party would work towards ending the trade of chitta by the end of 2029.
“Today, from here, I promise the mothers and youth of Punjab that in this election, support the BJP, vote for the lotus flower, and before December 31, 2029, we will free Punjab from the trade of chitta,” he said. (ANI)
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