In a debate moderated by TIMES NOW's Editor-in-Chief Arnab Goswami, panelists -- Manjit Singh GK, President, Delhi Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee; Sardar R P Singh, National Secretary, BJP; Partap Singh Bajwa, Punjab Congress Chief; and Hartosh Singh Bal, Political Editor, The Caravan -- discuss the issue of Punjab Govt taking drug drama to the border.
Unprecedented dharnas against the drug menace in Punjab were staged near the International Border by the ruling Shiromani Akali Dal whose chief and Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal alleged there was a "big conspiracy" to malign the entire Punjabi community. With ally BJP raking up the drug menace issue in a big way that has rankled Akali Dal, Sukhbir also sought to turn the tables on the saffron party, saying the states ruled by it were not ready to stop cultivation of narcotics though Punjab was willing to compensate them. The "awareness" dharnas were held close to the Attari, Hussainiwala and Sadiqi check points near Indo-Pak border in Amritsar, Ferozepur and Fazilka districts respectively. Sukhbir said that first a conspiracy was hatched to defame Punjabis as "terrorists" and now they were being branded as "drug addicts". "A propaganda has been going on in this regard and Congress is trying to politicise the issue," he said. Sukhbir sought to clear the air that Punjab was not a major drug producing and consuming state. Addressing the dharnas which were held for "greater awareness" and "vigilance along the border with Pakistan", Sukhbir said the Centre should prohibit states like Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh from "cultivating narcotics" in order to eliminate drug abuse. "We are rice and wheat producing state unlike states like Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh that draw huge economic gain of Rs 150 crore to Rs 200 crore by cultivating narcotics. How can a country have two laws that allow cultivation of drugs in one state and foodgrainS in another?," questioned Sukhbir Badal. The Punjab government has been receiving flak
