Slamming the entire opposition for defaming the hard working Punjabis by labeling them as drug addicts, the Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today said that magnitude of drug problem was much less than that in many other states of the country. Interacting with the media persons on the sidelines of Sangat Darshan program in Rajasansi Assembly segment here today, the Chief Minister said that forces inimical to state were hell bent upon branding the Punjabis as drug addicts just to present a wrong picture of the state before the country. He said that since time immemorial Punjab had been sword arm of country and its food bowl but ignoring this amass contribution of Punjabis a malicious propaganda has been unleashed by some political parties to label these patriotic son of soil as drug addicts. Mr. Badal said that the state government has already tightened noose around drug peddlers by putting them behind the bars and by opening a network of drug de addiction and rehabilitation centres in the state.
Replying to another query, the Chief Minister said that he had urged the Union Home Minister Mr. Rajnath Singh to treat Indo-Pak border along with the state at par with that in Jammu-Kashmir to enhance vigil on it for checking cross border infiltration. He said that recent terror attacks in Pathankot and Dina Nagar has proved that Punjab was on radar of anti national forces. Mr. Badal said that though on its part the state government was establishing its second line of defence along with border but Government of India (GoI) must issue more funds to modernize the police force in the state.
Terming that Aam Aadmi Party has no future in the state, the Chief Minister said that it was just a ‘water bubble’ that would bust soon. He said that AAP government in Delhi under Mr. Arvind Kejriwal has miserably failed on all fronts. Mr. Badal said that the AAP had made tall promises to people but result in Delhi proves that they have not fulfilled even a single aspiration of people.
Asked to comment on sacrilege incident in Malerkotla, the Chief Minister said that some forces envy to the state were repeatedly making attempts to disturb the hard earned communal harmony, peace and brotherhood in the state. However, he said that the state government was committed to crush the ugly head of such forces. Mr. Badal said that the nabbing of culprits by the district Police in this sacrilege incident proves that state government was committed for this cause.
Replying to another query, the Chief Minister said during the last more than nine years of SAD-BJP the state has witnessed unprecedented development in every sphere. He said that the unparalleled progress in state has surpassed that in even many advanced nations in the world. Mr. Badal said that due to concerted efforts of the state government Punjab was today the only power surplus state in the country adding that Punjab was today having robust Road infrastructure besides being a front ranking state in education and health care sector.Slamming the Congress party for its anti-Punjab stance, the Chief Minister said that the Congress was inimical to the state from day one as it denied Punjab of its legitimate territorial rights in terms of its Capital, share in river water besides attacking on Sri Durbar Sahib thereby hurting the religious sentiments of the Punjabis in general and Sikh community in particular. Likewise, he said that the Sikhs could never forgive the Congress for the anti-Sikh riots of 1984 in which thousands of innocent Sikhs were brutally killed.
Reiterating the firm commitment of the state government to perpetuate the rich cultural legacy of the state, the Chief Minister said that the state government was making concerted efforts to make the younger generations aware about glorious history of the state. He said that Punjabis were known for creating history but for their failure in preserving it. However, he said that for the first time unprecedented steps have been taken by the state government to perpetuate the glorious cultural heritage of the state by constructing world class memorials by spending more than Rs 1000 crore. Mr. Badal said that these memorials would ever act as ‘lighthouses’ for the younger generations.Earlier, the Chief Minister addressed public gatherings in village Manawala, Saidian, Lopoke and others during Sangat Darshan program.The Chief Minister was accompanied by Chairman District Planning Committee Jathedar Veer Singh Lopoke, Deputy Inspector General of Police Kunwar Vijay Pratap, Deputy Commissioner Mr. Varun Roojam and Senior Superintendent of Police Mr. Jasdeep Singh.