Bhagwant Mann led AAP government launched phase 2.0 of Yudh Nashian Virudh at Lovely Professional University in Jalandhar, Punjab today. Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and former Delhi Chief Minister, AAP Supremo Arvind Kejriwal launched the campaign in this regard.
CM Bhagwant Mann highlights that drug addiction is a social problem that requires a movement to be eradicated from the state and not force. He mentions how no matter how hard the police try, the loopholes created by the previous governments would require special attention and extra work. The CM assures that the party will fight this battle like a war. He acknowledges that drugs were not completely eradicated in the phase one of the scheme but a significant amount of reduction has been observed. He adds by saying that as the second phase starts today, he would make every effort to save the country, community, farmers and Punjab.
During the launch of the event AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal said that the second phase of Yudh Nashian Virudh is being launched after the success of its first phase. He claims that no such scheme had been launched in any other state before. He adds that drug is not solely Punjab’s problem rather it is an issue that grips other states like Haryana, Delhi, and Gujarat as well. Taking a dig at the governments he claims that no work is being done by these governments in this regard.
He further says that the Akali Dal government which was in power in Punjab earlier made drugs accessible to every household in Punjab. Later, Captain Amarinder Singh's government came to power who vowed to eradicate drugs from the state within 60 days but failed miserably.
Punjab AAP Incharge Manish Sisodia talking on the occasion said that the war against drugs has been very successful. He says that the Punjab model has shown an exemplary way to break the backbone of drug mafia. He congratulated the entire team of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and all those involved in making this initiative successful. He adds that the first phase of the scheme involved a crackdown lead by the police, while now in the second phase public will be at its forefront.
Rajya Sabha member Ashok Mittal recalls how Kejriwal took a stern action against drugs and said that he was willing to lose next ten elections if that meant drugs would be eradicated from Punjab. Punjab Chief Secretary KAP Sinha says that several departments took part in the campaign to make it a huge success. He further hopes that the Phase two would also be as successful as the first one.
The Special DGP Law and Order Arpit Shukla says, that the second phase has now officially begun. Talking about the phase one he adds, 55, 400 meetings were held, 29,980 NDPS (Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act) cases were registered, and 358 major drug traffickers have been apprehended.
