Chandigarh (Haryana) [India], September 21 (ANI): Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini said that Punjab has always been known for the message of ‘Kirat Karo, Naam Japo and Vand Chakko’ given by Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji and the legacy of Sarbans Daani Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji, its hardworking farmers, brave soldiers guarding the nation’s borders and Punjabis who have earned recognition across the world through their hard work.
He said that those involved in the drug trade cannot be tolerated on such a sacred and glorious land. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Bharatiya Janata Party has taken up the resolve to make Punjab drug-free, he said.
Nayab Singh Saini assured the people of Punjab that if the BJP forms the government in 2027, firm action would be taken against those spreading drugs in the State. "Those involved in the drug trade will either have to give it up or leave Punjab. There will be no place for such people in the State," he said.
The Chief Minister was addressing a gathering during the Nasha Mukt Yatra at Jalalabad in Punjab on Monday. He said that the campaign against drugs should not remain confined to a political programme or a roadshow, but should reach every village and become a genuine people’s movement.
He called upon party workers and social organisations to reach out to families affected by drug abuse, extend support to youth caught in the grip of addiction and help them return to the mainstream of society.
The Chief Minister said that the Aam Aadmi Party had made several promises to the people of Punjab on eliminating the drug menace. Before coming to power, it had promised to eradicate drugs within three to six months, but thereafter the deadlines kept changing. He said that deadlines for decisive action against drugs were announced first for August 15, 2024, then December 31, 2024, and subsequently March 1, 2025.
Nayab Singh Saini said that the people of Punjab are now asking when the promise made to them during the elections would actually be fulfilled. He said that anti-drug campaigns had been publicised through large advertisements and posters, but the people of Punjab want to see change on the ground. He said that the Punjab Government had spent funds meant for public welfare on advertisements.
The Chief Minister questioned under whose patronage major drug traffickers in Punjab were flourishing. He said that while smaller operators were being apprehended for public display, action was not being taken against the major players involved in the drug trade.
He said that the Aam Aadmi Party had issued large advertisements, put up colourful posters and repeatedly given new names to its anti-drug campaigns, but the youth of Punjab need more than slogans. Punjab’s youth need freedom from drugs, treatment, employment and dignity, he said.
Nayab Singh Saini said that the Punjab Chief Minister’s residence in Chandigarh is barely 500 metres from his own residence, Sant Kabir Kutir. He said that around 2,000 to 2,500 people visit Sant Kabir Kutir every day with their grievances, whereas an ordinary citizen is unable to even reach the Punjab Chief Minister’s residence.
The Chief Minister said that listening to people’s grievances and resolving them is the responsibility of the government. He said that the Aam Aadmi Party Government in Punjab had betrayed the trust of the people. (ANI)
Punjab’s youth need drug-free future, opportunities and not empty slogans: Haryana CM
