Drug abuse on the wane due to govt drive, claims Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann

Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Monday claimed that the drug problem had substantially declined in the state following his government’s crackdown against it.

Farmers stopped near Dakha

Members of farm unions, who were heading to the venue of the CM function in Ludhiana, were stopped on the highway near Dakha by the police. They raised slogans against the land pooling policy and said they won’t let the CM and his MLAs enter their villages

The AAP government had launched the statewide anti-drug campaign, “Yudh Nashian Virudh”, on March 1, with a three-month deadline to end the menace. The campaign was later extended after the May 31 deadline expired.

Addressing a programme here, Mann admitted that though the problem had not been completely wiped out, \it “significantly reduced through collective efforts of the state government and residents”. Mann also honoured zone coordinators of the Nashi Mukti Yatra and members of village defence committees, which have been restructured to lead the campaign at the ground level.

The CM also alleged that the menace had increased during the previous governments. He said after AAP assumed power in 2022, it launched a battle against drugs. Referring to the arrest of SAD leader Bikram Singh Majithia in a disproportionate assets case, Mann said that Congress and BJP spoke in favour of him. Apart from amassing wealth beyond his known sources of income, Majithia has been accused of laundering Rs 540 crore of drug money.