CHANDIGARH: “At least 587 youths have died due to drug abuse during the 28 month tenure of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government, led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann. The actual number of deaths would be between 2000 to 2500, as many families avoid reporting the deaths due to social stigma and police reluctance to register FIRs, so only one-fourth of cases are officially recorded”, senior Punjab BJP leader and party’s State Media Head Vineet Joshi revealed the data based on an extensive study in a press conference on Thursday.
Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, who was elected with the promise of eradicating drug abuse in Punjab, now rules over a state where drug abuse has escalated to epidemic proportions, surpassing records of the past 20 years. Joshi highlighted Mann's inaction, and said that, “Bhagwant Mann's seriousness against drug addiction is evident with the fact that no state-level anti-drug program was organized and even no anti-drugs advertisement was issued on the three International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, during Mann's tenure—June 26, 2022, 2023and 2024.”
Joshi detailed the severe impact of drug addiction in Punjab, mentioning that not only young men but also children as young as 8 to 12 years old, elderly people, girls, and pregnant women have fallen victim to this crisis. Videos of young people, especially girls, consuming drugs are frequently going viral on social media.
The effects are devastating: drug addicts are resorting to extreme violence, including killing family members and their own children for getting drugs. Entire families are being destroyed, and homes are being reduced to ruins.
Joshi also pointed out the rampant availability of drugs in Punjab. “Drugs are being commonly sold in Punjab. Signage saying ‘Chitta is sold here’ are displayed openly and now even home delivery of drugs is reported. The current situation of drug selling is similar to the ration stores, with people lining up to purchase drugs as they would for ration”, Joshi said.
In the present Mann regime drug smugglers are courageous enough to attack, shoot, and kill those who oppose them, including police officers.
Joshi concluded, “Chief Minister Mann and AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal, when in opposition, used to often say that drugs business has patronage of people in power (first Akali and then Congress) and even some are directly involved. So if we apply the same formula of AAP in today's context, it seems that today the drug smugglers / traffickers have the patronage of CM Mann, AAP ministers, MLAs, and leaders.”