Warning against legalising the drug trade in Punjab, former Punjab Chief Minister and Congress candidate from Amritsar Capt Amarinder Singh today lashed out at Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal for suggesting that drug trade should be legalised in the state. “I will not allow this government to write the death warrant of an entire young generation”, he said.Capt Amarinder said, it only vindicated his charges that the Badals were patronising drug trafficking and now they wanted to do it legally after having established monopoly over drug trafficking so that they can make more easy money. “I wonder where will their greed for money end”, he remarked.In an informal conversation with reporters here today, Capt Amarinder asked Badal to have a heart and feel about the plight of those who have fallen prey to this scourge. “It is shameful for a Chief Minister to say that he cannot stop drug trafficking and hence the trade should be legalised and there should be licensed vends”, he observed, while quoting the example of Maqboolpura locality in Amritsar where ninety per cent women have become widows as their husbands have died of addiction.
Badal on Thursday at Muktsar had agreed to the suggestion of Faridkot MP Paramjit Kaur Gulshan that there should be legal vends in Punjab.Warning against any such move which can destroy an entire generation, the former Chief Minister said, the infiltration of drugs into the state is too deep. Besides, he added, the cheap synthetic drugs that are being manufactured in Punjab will find an easy way into the licensed vends and destroy the youth.“I told Badal that you have looted sand, liquor business, transport, cable distribution and land to make money but spare at least our youth who will fall easy prey if the drugs are made easily available,” he said, adding that he did not rule out a game plan by the Badals and Majithia to legalise drugs so that they can make money.“They are already controlling the drug cartel and once they legalise it they will not even have to fear the law”, he said, while warning that he will not let it happen in Punjab at any cost.