AMRITSAR: A 30 year old youth today died due to overdose of heroin in Basarke village near Attari in Amritsar district coinciding with the 'Nasha Mukri Yatra' undertaken by former Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal and Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann.
The death of youth was reported at the same time when former CM Bhagwant Mann and Arvind Kejriwal on second day of Nasha Mukri Yatra were in Hoshiarpur boasting breaking drug chain in the state.
The deceased has been identified as Jaswinder Singh. The village Sarpanch said that this is fifth death due to drug overdose in the village. The drugs are still available in the village and surrounding areas.He said that police is not taking any action against drug smugglers.
14 deaths reported in two weeks in Punjab
At least 14 alleged drug overdose deaths have been reported in Punjab over the past two weeks, bringing to focus again how the authorities concerned have been struggling to root out the menace in the border state.
Jaswinder Singh is survived by old parents, two sisters and a young brother. The dead body of an unidentified youth who died due to drug overdose was recovered in Attari on May 14.
Yet another 19 year old youth Anmol Singh had died in village Payal due to drug overdose on May 5 last.
Kejriwal had yesterday launched 'Nasha Mukti Yatra in Punjab and he is expected to travel around the state during one month. Punjan CM Bhagant Mann is accompanying Kejriwal. In March 2025 Bnhagwant Mann had launched 'Yudh Nasheyan Virudh' a highly expensive media campaign and claimed to have arrestged over 10000 drug sugglers, 8500 big fish among them.
The Yudh Nashyan Virudh campaign however had failed to make as dent in the drug trade in the state. Only yesterday 85 Kg of heroin was recovered in Taran Taran, suggesting that drug supply chain in not yet broken.Even today 1.01 Kg heroin recovered in Amritsar.
Punjab CM had announced to make Punjab drug free by May 30 and he had given the task to Police to clear the state of drugs by deadline. It appears that anti-drug campaign of the CM is confined to newspapers advertisements and propaganda on social media. The ground realities are totally different. At least 27 people had died by consuming spurious liquor in Majitha in Amritsar a day after Mann claimed his government had eliminated drugs froms ther state.
The people of the state are irked over interference of Kejriwal in the administation and Kejriwal leading the anti drug campaign has not get weel with the masses. Kejriwal is facing serious charges of liquor scam in Delhi and he is on bail in two cases.
There are allegations of involvement of AAP leaders in the drug and lllicit liquor smuggling and sale in rural areas. The hoocj tragedy in Majitha is the second major incident in Punjab during AAP governent in last three years. Earlier in February 2024, 24 people were killed with spurious liquor in Sangrur district, the home constituency of Bhagwant Mann.