In rampant drug abuse, Charanjit Singh Channi finds his main poll plank

Charanjit Singh Channi has been harping on about the drug menace from the very beginning of his election campaign.

Congress leader Charanjit Singh Channi, lok sabha elections, indian express

Congress leader Charanjit Singh Channi blamed the opposition parties for letting this business flourish in the state. (File)

Drug menace has returned to centre stage in elections, with Congress leader Charanjit Singh Channi declaring his intention to make it the main plank of his poll campaign, contending that this illegal business cannot thrive without political patronage. On the stump, the Congress candidate from the Jalandhar Lok Sabha seat is often heard accusing the ruling AAP dispensation in Punjab and the BJP-led government at the Centre of being complicit in the proliferation of illicit drugs.

On Wednesday, Channi visited Bulandpur, Landhra, Bulowal, Rohjari and other villages in Jalandhar and raked up the issue along with other local problems while canvassing for himself and the party. The former Punjab chief minister said, “It pains me a lot when I see young boys getting into substance abuse and drug addiction, leaving their families in a state of devastation.”
Channi blamed the opposition parties for letting this business flourish in the state. The BJP, he alleged, is embracing individuals linked to the drug trade and is exacerbating the problem. The political leaders are deeply entrenched in this illicit business, preying on the youth and enriching themselves, he alleged.

In almost every meeting or public rally, the Congress candidate from Jalandhar parliamentary constituency has been prominently displaying a photograph featuring a smuggler apprehended with 1 kg heroin, alongside the brother of former AAP MLA Sheetal Angural, who recently joined the BJP.

Pledging to eradicate this scourge of drugs from Punjab, Channi calls upon the people of Jalandhar to rally behind the Congress in this endeavour.

Also, during all his meetings on Tuesday in Phillaur assembly segment, Channi said, “Ever since I brought up the issue of drugs in Jalandhar, narcotics are being seized every now and then. This illegal trade thrives on the patronage of AAP leaders and an impartial investigation will only uncover the truth.”

Channi appealed to the electorate of Phillaur constituency to support him and the Congress. The former CM assured the people of Jalandhar that he is committed to ending drug addiction without betraying their trust by working tirelessly towards uprooting this menace from its very core.

Additionally, he promised to address other issues faced by the residents of Phillaur constituency, ensuring comprehensive development in a meticulously planned manner.

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hillaur assembly segment is currently represented by Congress MLA Vikramjit Singh Chaudhary, a staunch opponent of Channi’s candidacy from Jalandhar Lok Sabha seat.

Channi has been harping on about the drug menace from the very beginning of his election campaign. Even when he filed his nomination papers on May 10, he had addressed the media as well as the public highlighting this issue, stating that he would leave no stone unturned to rid the state of this problem.

“Despite grand promises by every government to combat the drug issue in Punjab, it remains a major problem in the state,” said a senior politician in Punjab, requesting anonymity.

Former CM Captain Amarinder Singh during the lead up to the 2017 Vidhan Sabha elections in Punjab had pledged on the ‘Gutka Sahib’ (the Sikh religious scripture) to rid the state of drug menace within four weeks of assuming office. At the time, Amarinder Singh was in the Congress. After his unceremonious exit from the grand old party, he joined the BJP. After Amarinder Singh’s tenure, Channi governed Punjab for a few months before the 2022 Vidhan Sabha elections.

Punjab goes to the polls on June 1.

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