Anti-drug drive showing results, Punjab to be free of menace soon: Cheema
On Tuesday, Harpal Cheema, accompanied by AAP spokesperson Neel Garg, addressed a press conference regarding this campaign at the party office in Chandigarh.
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Cheema (centre) linked unemployment to the drug crisis, stating that the AAP government has created over 50,000 jobs. (Photo: X/ @HarpalCheemaMLA)Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) senior leader and Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema described the Punjab Government’s anti-drug campaign ‘Yudh Nashian Virudh’ as a highly effective and successful initiative while sharing details of the police action taken in the past 11 days with the media.
On Tuesday, Harpal Cheema, accompanied by AAP spokesperson Neel Garg, addressed a press conference regarding this campaign at the party office in Chandigarh. Cheema stated that the results of the ‘War Against Drugs’ campaign are extremely encouraging. He expressed full confidence that Punjab would soon become a completely drug-free state.
He said that under the leadership of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, this campaign is being successfully carried out. So far, 76 kg of heroin, 50 kg of opium, and ?50 lakh in cash have been recovered. Additionally, 1,072 FIRs have been registered under the Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, and 1,485 drug peddlers have been arrested.
Furthermore, around 7 lakh drug tablets, 4.5 kg drug powder, 1.25 kg narcotic ice, and 950 kg of poppy husk (bhuki), along with other synthetic drugs, have been seized by the police. Moreover, properties of approximately 26 individuals involved in drug trafficking have been demolished. These individuals had amassed crores of rupees worth of assets through illegal activities and smuggling. Cheema said these statistics demonstrate how serious the Aam Aadmi Party’s Punjab Government is about eradicating drugs. Cheema affirmed that the AAP Government is fully committed to eradicating drugs from Punjab.
The police are conducting round-the-clock operations against drug smugglers. He warned that such individuals would either quit the drug trade or leave Punjab; otherwise, they would end up behind bars.
Cheema criticized the previous governments for shielding drug smugglers, contrasting this with the AAP Government’s strict actions against them. He highlighted the conviction rates in drug-related cases, slamming previous governments for their alleged nexus with drug traffickers. He revealed that under the AAP Government, the conviction rate in NDPS cases has increased to 86%, compared to a much lower 58% during the Congress regime and a mere 40% during the Akali-BJP Government. In some districts, the conviction rate has reached as high as 90-95%.
He attacked the Congress, accusing its former Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh of making false promises to eradicate drugs within four weeks. Instead of eliminating drugs, the Congress Government provided protection to drug smugglers. He further accused the previous Akali-BJP and Congress Governments of deliberately conspiring to entangle the youth in drug addiction.
Cheema said that after coming to power, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann first strengthened the police, administrative systems, and investigative agencies. The AAP Government established special teams such as the Anti-Gangster Task Force, Anti-Drugs Task Force, and Road Safety Force, whose results are now evident.
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