Sukhbir Singh Badal misleading people on drug menace in Punjab: Arvind Kejriwal

On the third-day of his Punjab tour on Saturday, the Delhi Chief Minister was addressing a gathering of the families of youth, who had fallen prey to drug abuse.

Harike Pattan: Aam Aadmi Party Convener Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday accused Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal of trying to mislead people by quoting 'fabricated statistics' on drug menace.

"Instead of taking deterring steps to control drug abuse, Sukhbir is presenting fabricated data by claiming the state only has 0.6 per cent drug addicts. He knows everything, if he doesn't, he has no right to continue as Deputy CM," he said here.

On the third-day of his Punjab tour today, the Delhi Chief Minister was addressing a gathering of the families of youth, who had fallen prey to drug abuse.

Sukhbir Badal had recently said only 0.06 per cent youths in the state are prey to drug abuse.

Attacking the SAD-BJP government on drug issue, the AAP leader said, "It is a shame for the government that the state which was once known for its sheer beauty, lush green farms, gleaming water streams and stunning backdrops, is now popular for drug abuse as well."

Earlier, families of youths, who had fallen prey to drug-abuse arranged a gathering and narrated tales how their wards got trapped in the drug net, AAP said in a release.

It also claimed that the villagers revealed how police tried to sabotage the arrangement of the gathering, by forcibly 'picking up' the owner of land, where Kejriwal's meeting was arranged.

Addressing the gathering, Kejriwal said, "Goondagardi (hooliganism) of Akalis will no more be tolerated in Punjab. We will not bow before under any pressure and Akalis must understand that AAP is not only a wave but a storm to finish them."

"Once voted to power (in Punjab), AAP will not spare any drug lord and will not only rehabilitate the drug-addicts, but curb the supply chain, which is currently being patronised by politicians," Kejriwal claimed.

Later in Patti near Amritsar, Kejriwal met several

families of the area, who complained of easy access to narcotics, to which the youths fell prey easily.

Several women narrated how their sons died due to drug abuse. A woman recounted how two sons died due to drug abuse and her husband who could not bear the loss died of trauma, an AAP release said.

He was accompanied by party MP Bhagwant Mann, and other leaders including Sanjay Singh, Ashish Khaitan, Succha Singh Chottepur.

Addressing villagers of Sursingh in Tarn Taran district, near Amritsar, Kejriwal claimed that no state government could match what AAP government has done in Delhi during one year.

An AAP release claimed that during an unscheduled halt at the village's Community Health Centre (CHC), Kejriwal found that there was no doctor, patient or staff there.

"Another shocking fact came to light during Kejriwal's visit to this village when a freedom fighter, Sohan Singh, explained how he was fighting for his livelihood, in spite of being awarded 'Tamra Pattra' by the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi," the release said.

Quoting Sohan Singh, the AAP release stated that he had applied for old-age pension, but was denied, without citing any valid reason for same.

"During my visit to Punjab so far, I am astonished to find that virtually there is no governance, rather mal-governance. Lot of things are needed to be done in Punjab to bring back the entire system on track," Kejriwal said.