Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Saturday accused the Aam Aadmi Party government in Punjab of pushing the state into the “quagmire” of drug abuse, and she made the remarks during the BJP’s ‘Nasha Mukt Punjab Yatra’ programme in Fatehgarh Sahib.
Rekha Gupta arrived in Fatehgarh Sahib to flag off the second leg of the BJP’s anti-drug yatra and the programme was attended by Punjab BJP president Kewal Singh Dhillon and other party leaders.
The BJP has planned four such yatras from different parts of Punjab as part of its campaign against drug abuse.
Before attending the programme, Gupta paid obeisance at Gurdwara Sri Jyoti Saroop Sahib and paid respects to the younger Sahibzadas, Baba Zorawar Singh Ji and Baba Fateh Singh Ji, the yatra from Fatehgarh Sahib is scheduled to pass through several Assembly constituencies before reaching Jalandhar.
Addressing the gathering and speaking to the media, Gupta alleged that the AAP had pushed Delhi into the drug problem and said that the party had now been removed from power in the national capital.
She said it was now Punjab’s turn for a change.
Gupta said that if the BJP comes to power in Punjab, it would take strict action against drug smugglers and send them to jail and her remarks were part of the BJP’s broader campaign against drug abuse in Punjab. The party has described the yatra as an effort to create awareness about the drug menace and involve people in the fight against it.
Referring to the history of Fatehgarh Sahib and the sacrifices of the younger Sahibzadas, Gupta said Punjab is the land of Gurus and martyrs, and she said their sacrifices should inspire people to work together to make Punjab safer.
The Delhi CM also stressed that tackling drug abuse cannot be the responsibility of the government alone and according to her, protecting young people from drugs requires joint efforts by the government, administration and society.
She said every section of society has a role to play in preventing drug abuse and protecting Punjab’s youth.
The BJP’s four anti-drug yatras began from different parts of Punjab on September 18 and are scheduled to cover multiple Assembly constituencies before culminating in Jalandhar.