Chandigarh, Jun 19 (PTI) Punjab Congress chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring on Wednesday lashed out at the AAP government, claiming that the drug menace has been on the rise and asked Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann to hold a detailed discussion on the scourge in the state assembly.
To a question on the issue of drugs, Warring said that he was not satisfied with the action being taken by the state government to curb this menace.
“Every time a chief minister comes and presents data that he has taken action against so many persons,” said Warring.
“How will you end drugs and how will you wean away (people) from drugs?” he asked.
The Congress leader said merely stating that so many persons have been arrested in drugs related cases will not wipe out this scourge.
“(The problem of) drugs is increasing. It has increased four times in Punjab,” he claimed.
Expressing concern over the deaths of people with drug overdose at some places in the state, Warring stressed that there should be a detailed discussion on the problem in the Punjab Assembly.
He said that the chief minister should invite all parties to hold a discussion on it in the Punjab Assembly.
Warring also questioned the state government’s latest move of transferring low-rank police officials and said that policemen have been “harassed”.
When asked about the state government’s latest move of transferring low rank police officials, Warring said, “Why these transfers took place after two-and-half-years? If you speak about breaking the nexus, I think some people have been harassed. Some people have voted for the Congress.” Some police officials, who were left with only one year of service and they worked for their entire life in one city, will be shifted to other cities, the Congress leader said, adding they will not be able to perform.
“The kind of news we have that it (transfers) was done because policemen did not help the AAP (in elections),” alleged Warring and demanded that “it should be rolled back”.
He, however, said if any policeman is notorious then he must be transferred “but it does not mean that all policemen should be shifted”.
The Punjab government had on Tuesday announced the transfer of police officials at lower levels as one of the steps to break the “nexus” between low-rank police officials and drug smugglers.
The government has already shifted 10,000 policemen in a few days.
The Punjab Congress chief, who held a meeting here with the district unit presidents, said that he thanked them and other party workers for ensuring the party’s victory in seven of the 13 Lok Sabha seats in the recently-concluded general elections.
When asked about the Congress’ vote share in the elections, Warring said the party’s vote share has gone up as compared to the 2022 Punjab Assembly polls.
Notably, the Congress party’s vote share has dropped to 26.30 percent in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls from 40.12 per cent in the 2019 parliamentary elections. PTI CHS AS AS
About the Author
