Amritsar: BJP national office secretary and Rajya Sabha MP Tarun Chugh on Thursday accused the AAP govt of failing to curb drugs, gangsterism and deteriorating law and order in Punjab. Addressing the BJP’s ‘Nasha Mukt Punjab Yatra,’ Chugh said the drug crisis had reduced several families to grief, and alleged that the govt had failed to break trafficking networks. He also questioned the government over allegations surrounding the death of Gulzar Singh, who, according to his family, had raised his voice against the drug mafia. “Punjab, once known for producing soldiers and sporting champions, is now witnessing the tragic consequences of drug abuse among its youth. When the younger generation of Punjab is pushed into the grip of drugs, it is one of the gravest tragedies facing the state,” he said. Chugh recalled an interaction of BJP national president Nitin Nabin with families affected by drugs, saying that one sister had brought a photograph of her deceased brother with a rakhi tied around it. “Her words — ‘Where will I find my brother now?’ — convey the pain of Punjab’s drug crisis more powerfully than any statistic,” he said.Former Delhi minister Arvinder Singh Lovely said Punjab’s core issues included drugs, unemployment and gangsterism, while political parties remained focused on elections.Former Punjab BJP president Shwait Malik urged people to unite against drugs and crime, alleging government failure. BJP vice-president Ravikaran Singh Kahlon said saving Punjab’s youth required collective action.
