Warring attacks AAP govt on drug menace in Punjab

Chandigarh, Jun 19 (PTI) Punjab Congress chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring on Wednesday lashed out at the AAP government, blaming it for the drug menace, and asked Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann to hold a detailed discussion on the scourge in the state assembly.

Asked about the matter, Warring said he was not satisfied with the action being taken by the state to stem the enormity of drugs.

"Every time a chief minister comes and presents data that he has taken action against so many persons," said newly-elected Ludhiana MP. "How will you end drugs and how will you wean them away from drugs?" The Congress leader said merely stating that so many people have been arrested in drug-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 drug overdose deaths, Warring stressed that there should be a detailed discussion on the problem in the Punjab Assembly with the involvement of all parties.

Warring also questioned the state government's latest move of transferring low-rank police personnel.

"Why did these transfers take 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," he said.

Many policemen, who were left with only one year of service and worked their entire life in one city, will be shifted to other cities where they not be able to perform, the Congress leader said.

"We have the news that it (transfers) was done because policemen did not help the AAP (in elections)," Warring alleged, and demanded rollback of transfer orders.

Aam Aadmi Party MP and Punjab unit chief spokesperson Malvinder Singh Kang slammed the Punjab Congress chief for his statement and asked why he was disturbed by the transfers.

"Some police personnel are part of the drug nexus, so to curb this nexus, the chief minister decided to carry out transfers," he said.

On the allegation that the AAP was punishing those who did not vote for it, Kang said, "There is no way in a democracy to know who voted for whom. But such continuous irresponsible statements from the Congress leaders are concerning." The Punjab government had on Tuesday announced the transfer of several lower rung police personnel as one of the steps to break the "nexus" between low-ranking law enforcers and drug smugglers.

The government has already shifted 10,000 policemen.

Warring said he held a meeting here with party workers and thanked them for their work during recently held general election.

The Congress's vote share dropped to 26.30 per cent in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls from 40.12 per cent in the 2019 parliamentary elections.

When asked about the slide in Congress's vote share, Warring said the it went up as compared to the 2022 Punjab Assembly polls. PTI CHS VN VN