AAP’s war was not against drugs, but involved collusion with drug mafias: Nitin Nabin
Those in power do not have the courage to silence Punjab’s voice: Nitin Nabin
We will eradicate drugs from the roots within two years: Kewal Dhillon
BJP National President Shri Nitin Nabin launches the first Nasha Mukt Punjab Yatra from Ekta Sthal, Madhopur, Pathankot
Pathankot / Chandigarh, September 18:
Bharatiya Janata Party National President Shri Nitin Nabin today flagged off the first Nasha Mukt Punjab Yatra from Ekta Sthal, Madhopur, Pathankot. The yatra, launched with the resolve of “BJP’s slogan: Eradicate drugs completely”, will culminate in Jalandhar on September 30.
On the occasion, Nabin called for a decisive fight against drugs. State BJP President Kewal Singh Dhillon, National Vice-President Manpreet Singh Badal and former State President Ashwani Sharma also called for turning the fight against drugs into a people’s movement.
Wearing a saffron turban, Nitin addressed the gathering and said that Punjabis want a rising Punjab, not an ‘Udta Punjab’. He said the time had come for a decisive fight against those who, using the power of office, had allegedly promoted corruption and worsened the law-and-order situation, thereby ruining Punjab through drugs.
The core strategy in the fight against drugs
Sharing the BJP’s core strategy in its fight against drugs, Nitin Nabin said the approach would include targeting drug traffickers, breaking the drug supply network, confiscating drug money, rehabilitating people affected by drug addiction, and taking the campaign forward with the support of society.
He said, “Today is a very special day. I have come to connect with the pain being experienced in households across Punjab.”
He added that he had come from Patna, the land associated with Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji, to take the message of de-addiction to every Punjabi.
BJP’s track record
Nitin Nabin said that the BJP fulfils the commitments it makes in the country. He said the party had undertaken a long struggle to fulfil its commitment to abrogate Article 370 and had worked to eliminate terrorism and Naxalism.
He said that the BJP had now taken a resolve, on August 2, to eliminate drugs from the country. “I have come with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s message to begin this campaign from the soil of Punjab. This is the BJP’s track record, and therefore, we will also eliminate drugs,” he said.
Nabin said that drugs cannot be Punjab’s identity or strength. Punjab’s identity should be its heritage, ideas and youth. He said Punjab’s identity had traditionally been associated with the teachings of the Gurus, the sweat of farmers and the spirit of sportspersons. The people of Punjab, he said, would themselves fight against drugs.
Drugs were treated as a key to political power
Nitin Nabin said that people in power in the state had worked to change Punjab’s identity and had worked to destroy its generations.
He alleged that the Punjab government had treated the fight against drugs as a key to political power and had failed to understand the pain of the people.
Nitin said that Nasha Mukt Punjab Yatras were being organised from all four directions of the state. Through these yatras, the people of Punjab would be connected with the anti-drug campaign, dialogue would be held with them, and social organisations would also be brought into the campaign.
Attempt to silence voices against drugs
Nitin Nabin alleged that those in power had failed to understand the pain and suffering of families affected by drugs. He said the Punjab government wanted to silence people speaking out against drugs, but warned that the government should understand that the voice of Punjab could not be silenced.
He said that a Dalit man who had raised his voice against drugs was allegedly forced to commit suicide due to government high-handedness. He further alleged that BJP leaders and workers who were going to meet the victim’s family were stopped by workers of the Aam Aadmi Party.
He alleged that instead of breaking the drug network, the state government had worked to weaken the morale of families affected by drugs.
We will eradicate drugs from the roots within two years: Kewal Dhillon
Punjab BJP President Kewal Singh Dhillon, addressing the gathering, said that the event was not a political rally but an effort to share the pain of mothers and sisters.
He said it was a people’s movement under which the BJP would go door-to-door across all 117 Assembly constituencies and, in accordance with the resolve of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, would eradicate drugs from the roots within the next two years.
Appealing to the people of Punjab to rise above party politics and participate in the Drug-Free Punjab Yatras, Kewal Dhillon said that the BJP would expose the Punjab government. He said the government could not stop them by throwing eggs at them. “These are childish acts. The BJP is not going to be afraid of such attacks,” he said.
He said Arvind Kejriwal had claimed that Punjab would be made drug-free within three months, but the situation now was such that pizza deliveries could be delayed in Punjab, but not deliveries of ‘chitta’.
He said the mothers and sisters of Punjab were asking the government, “When will you bring back our sons and brothers?” But instead of answering, the government was allegedly trying to suppress those speaking against drugs. He said this was the voice of Punjab and nobody could silence it.
Kewal Dhillon said the Aam Aadmi Party government had ruined everything in Punjab and every section of society was suffering. He claimed that people in Punjab were saying that once the election Model Code of Conduct was imposed, they would put up boards in villages saying that ‘AAP leaders are not allowed to enter the villages.’
Punjab is being defamed: Manpreet Badal
Bharatiya Janata Party National Vice-President Manpreet Singh Badal said that Punjab was gradually losing its identity. The image Punjab once had, he said, no longer existed.
He said the situation in Punjab was deteriorating day by day because of drugs, due to which Punjab was being defamed across the country.
It is a fight that concerns every household: Ashwani Sharma
Ashwani Sharma said that by launching the yatra from a historic site associated with Syama Prasad Mukherjee, the BJP had initiated a people’s movement against drugs.
He said the banner of the campaign might be political, but the problem affected every household.
He said that in Punjab, the war against drugs had been reduced to mere publicity. However, according to the BJP’s resolve, the fight to make the country drug-free had begun from Punjab.
Other leaders who addressed the gathering
Among others, former Union Minister Vijay Sampla, Parliamentary Committee member Iqbal Singh Lalpura, former Lok Sabha member Preneet Kaur, former Rajya Sabha member Shwait Malik, former Punjab minister Manoranjan Kalia, Mukerian MLA Jangi Lal Mahajan and former Deputy Speaker of the Punjab Legislative Assembly Dinesh Babbu also addressed the gathering.
Leaders present at the event
Those present included National General Secretary & Punjab affairs in-charge Satish Poonia, co-in-charge Saudan Singh, co-in-charge Dr. Narendra Singh Raina, Rajya Sabha member Tarun Chugh, Rajya Sabha member Bikramjit Sahni, Rajya Sabha member Satnam Singh Sandhu, former Punjab BJP state president Sunil Jakhar, Punjab BJP General Secretary Anil Sareen, Rajya Sabha member Raghav Chadha, BJP leader H.S. Phoolka, former minister Surjit Kumar Jiani, Rakesh Kumar Rathore, K.D. Bhandari, Punjab BJP Mahila Wing president Jaijinder Kaur, Amanjot Kaur Ramuwalia, former MLA Ashwani Shekhri, former MP Sushil Kumar Rinku, former minister Som Prakash, former Lok Sabha member Preneet Kaur, Rana Gurmit Singh Sodhi and several other leaders.
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