Chandigarh, Feb 10: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Punjab Chief Spokesperson Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal has criticized the Governor’s anti-drug yatra, describing it as a hollow exercise in showmanship that shields the very leaders responsible for the state’s narcotics crisis.
Speaking at a press conference in Chandigarh on Tuesday, Dhaliwal noted that while the AAP administration is actively conducting grassroots campaigns against drug abuse, the Governor’s parallel initiative sends a conflicting message to the public. He mentioned that sharing a stage with Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal and BJP leader Ashwani Sharma undermines the credibility of any anti-drug movement.
“A yatra in which Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal and BJP leader Ashwani Sharma are seated together cannot be aimed at eradicating drugs,” Dhaliwal directly said. He noted that such a spectacle appears more like an effort to protect political patrons rather than confronting traffickers.
The AAP MLA mentioned that the “sixth river” of drugs in Punjab flourished between 2007 and 2017 when the same forces now seen with the Governor were in power. He noted that the people of Punjab have not forgotten who provided shelter to traffickers during that decade. Dhaliwal mentioned that for the past four years, the current government has been fighting a decisive battle against the menace, making it the state’s top priority.
“By standing with them, the Governor is encouraging the very forces that pushed Punjab’s future into darkness,” Dhaliwal noted. He mentioned that if the Governor were serious about the issue, he would have chosen to walk with grassroots organizations and honest activists instead of political figures associated with past failures.
