Driving Naari Programme launched in Chandigarh
Chandigarh, Congress Deputy Leader in the Lok Sabha Capt Amarinder Singh today asked alliance partners SAD and BJP to “stop playing mind games” with each other over the issue of drugs and conversion.
“If you are not comfortable with each other, you better call it a day. But stop trying to befool the people… Those in power and in a position to act do not look good holding dharnas. If they can’t act, they better quit,” he told the two parties in a statement issued here.
Capt Amarinder was referring to the proposed dharna by Akali Dal president and Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal against the BSF over smuggling of drugs from across the border.
“Whom are they trying to fool when they are very much part of the Union Government under which the BSF comes,” he asked.
The former Chief Minister alleged the dharna was aimed at pre-empting the anti-drug rally being organised by BJP president Amit Shah in Amritsar on January 12. He also took a dig at Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal for opposing the conversions now “when he had started feeling the heat from the BJP”.
“When the issue was raised by the Congress, the Akalis maintained an acquiescing silence and sided with the BJP. Now Badal has woken up to the threat of forced conversions for obvious reasons,” he said.
Drugs made locally: MLA
Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, Congress MLA from Dera Baba Nanak, said on Sunday Punjab was suffering due to synthetic drugs manufactured locally. Countering the claims by Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal that drugs were coming from across the border, for which the Centre was responsible, Randhawa alleged the Akalis were trying to divert the attention of Punjab people. Randhawa said drugs were manufactured locally, as had been revealed by the police expose of manufacturing facilities raided in Mohali and Samrala.
Protest against govt
Mansa: Local Congress leader Gurpreet Singh Vicky along with his supporters staged a dharna near Bhai Desa village and burnt an effigy of the state government for “falsely” accusing Youth Congress chief Raja Warring in a drug scam. The racket was busted by the local police earlier this year.
