Raghav Chadha attacks AAP over Punjab drug crisis, announces Nasha-Mukt Punjab Yatra

Chadha said the party leadership had decided to launch the Nasha-Mukt Punjab Yatra at a meeting held at the BJP office. The yatra will be conducted from September 18 to September 30 and will focus on the issue of drug abuse in the state.

"The BJP leadership has decided to launch a 'Nasha-Mukt Punjab Yatra'. This journey will be conducted from September 18 to September 30," he said.

Chadha also took a dig at the AAP, saying the party continued to focus on him even after he had moved on politically.

The AAP has reached a state where I appear in their dreams as a ghost, Chadha said, comparing the party to an ex-girlfriend whose boyfriend had moved on but who remained in love with him.

He said he was concerned that AAP could behave like a heartbroken lover, using the analogy to target the party over its repeated references to him.

Turning to the issue of drugs in Punjab, Chadha alleged that the availability of chitta, a term commonly used for heroin in the state, had become widespread. He claimed that people were lining up to buy drugs in the same way they queue for ration and alleged that drugs were being delivered to homes across the state.

The drug situation in Punjab is currently such that queues are forming to buy chitta just as people queue up for rations, Chadha said.

He alleged that drugs were being sold in streets, neighbourhoods and villages across Punjab and questioned the state governments claims that the drug menace was being brought under control.

Chadha also referred to the death of Gulzar Singh, who he said had raised questions before the Bhagwant Mann government about his sons drug addiction. The BJP MP questioned whether seeking answers from the government over a personal tragedy could have driven a citizen to such a situation.

What was the fault of the late Gulzar Singh? He simply asked the Bhagwant Mann government a questionstating that his son was a victim of chitta and suffering from drug addictionand sought justice, Chadha said.

Gulzar Singh, a member of the Valmiki community, died by suicide after allegedly facing harassment, intimidation, and threats from local party affiliates. The incident followed a public interaction where Singh had confronted Punjab Minister Harpal Singh Cheema over the drug menace affecting his son.

Chadha further alleged that BJP leaders attempting to meet Gulzar Singhs family had been prevented from doing so by the administration and AAP workers. Chadha questioned whether standing with a grieving family had become a crime in Punjab.

"Furthermore, when our BJP state president and others go to meet the family, the administration and AAP members collude to prevent the meeting. Has it become a crime in Punjab to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with a family in their hour of grief, offering support and condolences?" he added.

Earlier, Congress MP Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa said the party would hold a major protest over the suicide of Dalit labourer Gulzar Singh, demanding justice for the victim's family while alleging that the Punjab government has failed to address concerns related to the incident.Speaking on the matter, Randhawa said that the issue should not be politicised and asserted that the Congress would raise concerns over the handling of the case. He also said that party leader Rahul Gandhi had raised the issue and questioned the Punjab Chief Minister over the developments.

"We will definitely hold a big protest. We want justice for the family. We don't want politics over this. We have seen how the government has handled the issue, and we will raise these concerns... Rahul Gandhi has also raised this issue. I don't know where the Chief Minister has been since the day he took office. He should tell us what happened and how it happened... Drugs that were earlier limited to certain areas are now reaching homes across the state," Randhawa said. (ANI)