The Congress Deputy Leader in the Lok Sabha and Amritsar MP Capt Amarinder Singh today said that the synthetic drugs produced within the country, more specifically in Punjab, were more serious a threat than those smuggled from across the border. He was responding to the statement of Union Minister for Finance and Defence Arun Jaitely during a conference in Delhi yesterday wherein he had sought to put entire blame on the drugs smuggled from across the border.Referring to Mr Jaitely’s statement, Capt Amarinder Singh during an informal interaction with the reporters on the third day of his thanksgiving visit here today, said, Punjab was faced with more serious challenge of the homemade drugs produced locally with the patronage of the Akali leaders than those smuggled from across the border.
He said, no doubt the drugs are continuously smuggled in from Pakistan. “However, large quantity is seized by our forces at the border and most of it is sent out as Punjab mainly happens to be a transit point”, he said, while adding, “the actual and more serious problem in Punjab is the synthetic drugs which are being supplied very cheaply and easily”.The former Chief Minister asked Jaitely to get the matter examined and investigated for his own knowledge and further action. He said, from his (Jaitely’s) observations it appears that he is absolutely unaware of the menace of the synthetic drugs produced locally and with due patronage by the ruling Akalis who are his party’s alliance partners in Punjab as also at the centre.
Capt Amarinder said, he was emphasising the seriousness of the local production of the drugs as it is important for Mr Jaitely and the government of India to have the actual and right feedback and not the one provided by the Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal. “He (Mr Badal) has two reasons to put all the blame on the drugs smuggled from across the border; one he escapes responsibility and two he is trying to pert the attention from the drugs produced within his state and with due patronage of his party’s leaders including some sitting ministers”, he remarked.The Congress Deputy Leader asked Jaitely that it was high time to understand the actual causes behind this scourge. “Drugs smuggled from across the border may be one of the reasons for addiction, but this is not the only reason”, he told Jaitely while remarking jokingly, “rather I am sure that during the entire election campaign in Amritsar and the final outcome there, you must be enlightened adequately by now about the real reasons and causes behind the drug addiction in Punjab, at least.”