He demanded accountability for the illegal sale of pharmaceutical drugs and expressed concern over the impact of the drug menace on the youth.
Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) chief Pargat Singh has questioned the BJP-led government at the Centre and Union Home minister Amit Shah over the “growing drug trade across the country”.
So neither the central government nor the Home minister can evade responsibility for the spread of the drug trade across Punjab and other states. If he was fully aware of the ground realities, what concrete steps had the central government taken to curb this menace, he asked. An effective strategy, strict enforcement, and clear accountability between the central and state governments are essential to tackle this crisis. Central agencies have a crucial role to play in curbing drug trafficking, cross-border supplies, major drug networks, and the illegal pharmaceutical drug trade. He urged the central government to make public a comprehensive account of the measures taken against the drug trade and the results achieved so far. He also called for time-bound and effective action to dismantle the entire drug supply chain.
He said the BJP has been in power at the Centre for the past 13 years, with Shah serving as the Home minister. Pargat questioned whether the drug problem in Punjab had continued to worsen over the past 13 years without Shah being aware of the situation.
He said that merely raising slogans about a ‘drug-free India’ and making grand announcements would not eliminate the drug trade. Pargat said that the drug menace is not merely an issue of law and order in Punjab. He said that protecting Punjab’s youth from drugs is not a matter of political rhetoric but a question of safeguarding the future of generations to come.
