Pitching “greater vigilance along the border with Pakistan” to stop flow of narcotics into Punjab, the ruling Shiromani Akali Dal is all set to hold dharnas near the international borders on Monday. The two-hour dharnas will be held near the Attari, Hussainiwala and Sadqi check points in Amritsar, Ferozepur and Fazilka border districts respectively starting from 12 pm.
The Punjab Congress too had announced to stage sit-ins at all the district headquarters, except Fatehgarh Sahib and Muktsar, demanding dismissal of the Punjab Government for allegedly “inciting people against the security forces”.
Earlier, SAD had announced that it will organise protests on the international border on January 5 to “pressurise the BSF” to stop entry of drugs from Pakistan side. But, in a volte-face, announced that the sit-in near the border was only “to create awareness against the drug menace”.
As the Congress and also the BJP criticising the SAD’s decision describing it as “highly demoralising” for the border force, Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal later clarified that the proposed dharnas should not be misconstrued against BSF or any other Government agency.
SAD president and Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal will lead the campaign at Attari in Amritsar along with including Bikram Singh Majithia, Ranjit Singh Brahmpura, Nirmal Singh Kahlon and Suchha Singh langah; while Rajya Sabha MP Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa, cabinet ministers Janmeja Singh Sekhon, Tota Singh will participate in dharna at Hussainiwala in Ferozepur.
At Sadiqi in Fazilka district, senior Akali leaders Balwinder Singh Bhunder and cabinet minister Sikander Singh Maluka will join the dharna. Sukhbir would first address the dharna at Attari following which he will travel to Hussainiwala and then Sadiqi.
Meanwhile, Sukhbir made it clear that the party would not tolerate Punjabis being defamed on the issue of drugs. “The fact of the matter is that Punjabis have formed the crucial second front after the BSF and stopped drugs entering into the State from Pakistan from spreading further in the country,” he said.
Badal said that the Akali Dal had only asked for greater surveillance of the border with Pakistan. “Drugs continue to seep into Punjab from across the border. We need technology like sensors and CCTV cameras to seal the borders completely. Similarly, states like Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan who are not only cultivating opium but selling the same for profit should be asked to stop this practice forthwith. I can guarantee if this happens the entire country will become free from the menace of drugs soon,” he said.
BADAl BATS FOR JOINT EFFORT BY CENTRE, STATE GOVT TO TACKlE DRUG MENACE
Sri Muktsar Sahib: Batting for joint effort by the Union and the State Governments to tackle the drug menace in Punjab, Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal on Sunday said that it was the need of the hour for making the State free of drugs.
“All efforts by both these Governments along with the active support of the general public could help in eradicating the drug menace in the state,” said Badal while interacting with the media on the sidelines of annual conference of Indian Medical Association (IMA) PIMACON-2015.
He said that the State Government could only seize the drugs coming to Punjab via border but the need of the hour was to cut the supply line of drugs for which the Centre needs to enhance vigil on the borders. “Punjab is leading in the seizure of drugs but the problem cannot be solved unless and until its supply line from both across the border and within the country is not cut completely,” he said.
Commenting on the leader of Opposition and Congress leader Sunil Jakhar’s visit to Fazilka border a day before to meet BSF officials, Badal said, “Congress leaders pretend to respect the security forces, whereas SAD admires these forces from the core of the heart.”
A large number of Congress activists led by Jakhar had visited Sadiqi joint check-post to express solidarity with the BSF ahead of Monday’s protest dharna planned by the ruling SAD on the drug issue.
CENTRE SHOUlD FORMUlATE UNIFORM POlICY AGAINST DRUGS: HARSIMRAT
Bathinda: Union Minister for Food Processing Industry and SAD MP from Bathinda Harsimrat Kaur Badal on Sunday emphasised on a uniform policy for all States to fight against drug abuse in country.
Besides, she also called upon the Centre to put a ban on cultivation of narcotics and its other derivates in some states to check smuggling to other States.
Harsimrat, talking to media persons after laying foundation stone of first-of-its-kind food processing training-cum-business incubation center at PAU Regional Center, said that Pakistan and Afghanistan fed 85 percent of drugs in the world’s drug market and on the way to international market pushed into India through borders.
BJP CAMPAIGN ONlY MOTIVATED BY POlITICAl PREPARATION FOR NEXT ElECTIONS: BAJWA
Chandigarh: The Punjab Congress president Partap Singh Bajwa on Sunday slammed the “ anti-drug campaign” to be launched by BJP chief Amit Shah from Amritsar as “totally politically motivated to pave way for parting company with the SAD immediately after the Delhi Assembly elections”.
“It is the timing of the campaign that is strategic as the same coincided with the Assembly Elections in Delhi likely to be held in February,” said Bajwa.
He said that despite being part and parcel of the Parkash Singh Badal Government in Punjab during all these years when the drug menace reached alarming proportions, the party never raised its voice, even after the name of Revenue Minister Bikram Singh Majithia cropped up initially.
“It is only now when the Enforcement Directorate started investigation against Majithia that the party raised the chorus for his resignation” he said. At the same time, he made it clear that the Congress would continue its agitation against the drug barons demanding CBI inquiry and the dismissal of the Badal Government.