Chandigarh, November 1
Punjab BJP General Secretary Anil Sarin questioned the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government for approving 35 special NDPS courts in the final phase of its five-year tenure, asking whether the Punjab Government had been asleep for the past four years and seven months. With barely five months left in its term, has the government suddenly woken up to the need to implement the PIT-NDPS Act and set up special courts?
Reacting to the Punjab Cabinet’s decision to establish 35 special NDPS courts to expedite trials in drug-related cases and clear the backlog of 52,577 pending cases, Sarin said, “If the AAP government was genuinely serious about tackling the drug menace in Punjab, why did it not announce such measures in its very first year in power? It has taken the government nearly five years to realise the need for special courts. Now, with its tenure nearing its end, the government has suddenly woken up to making announcements.”
Sarin further said, “The people of Punjab know that drug traffickers enjoy political patronage from AAP leaders, MLAs, ministers and even those occupying the highest positions in the government. Why has the government failed to order a thorough investigation into allegations made by its own party leaders and MLAs against fellow leaders and legislators over their alleged links with drug trafficking? Why have these serious allegations not been investigated so far? The government must make it clear whether it is genuinely committed to eradicating drugs from Punjab or is merely making announcements to divert public attention.”
Sarin emphasised that concrete action against drug trafficking networks was essential to tackle the menace. He asserted that the BJP remained firmly committed to its resolve to make Punjab drug-free by December 31, 2029, if voted to power in the upcoming Punjab Assembly elections.