Bathinda MP Harsimrat Badal challenges Punjab CM over drug trade
The MP accused Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann of facilitating the drug menace and failing to arrest major kingpins in Punjab.
Bathinda MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal on Monday asked Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann to name the drug kingpins arrested over the last five years. Speaking at a women's congregation, the SAD leader alleged that the Chief Minister is responsible for the proliferation of the drug trade in the state, according to The Tribune.
Badal demanded that the Chief Minister identify which 'chitta' factory has been busted by him so far. She stated that the fact that big drug lords and their factories remain untouched proves there is no intention to tackle the menace and that the trade is being facilitated.
The MP claimed that drug-related deaths have crossed unmanageable limits during the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) regime. She suggested that if an average of five drug-related deaths occur in each of the 13,000 villages every year, the figure would be 3.25 lakh, potentially rising to five to 6 lakh when including deaths in towns and cities.
Badal also addressed remarks made by the Chief Minister regarding her knowledge of 'jhona' and 'chhona'. She said she is aware of the 'choona' committed against Punjab's treasury and meritorious candidates through the selection of outsiders in the PCS Mains examination.