Cheema targets Saini, says drug traffickers shifting base to Haryana

Chandigarh: Punjab finance minister Harpal Singh Cheema on Tuesday questioned the repeated visits of Haryana chief minister Nayab Singh Saini to Punjab, while alleging that the drug menace was growing in the neighbouring state.Cheema said: "Nayab Singh Saini visits Punjab frequently. Is the BJP attempting to revive the drug trade in Punjab once again? The dark phase that Punjab endured under a BJP-backed Akali govt is now being witnessed in Haryana, which is steadily sinking deeper into the drug crisis."The minister said the Punjab govt's crackdown against narcotics was delivering results and dismantling drug networks. As Punjab strengthens enforcement and public participation against drugs, serious questions are arising about the growing menace in Haryana under the Saini-led govt, he added.Cheema alleged that drugs proliferated across Punjab during the 2007-2017 SAD-BJP regime and a similar pattern was now being visible in Haryana.Referring to a video posted by a Haryana Police personnel, Cheema said it raised questions about what the BJP govt in Haryana was trying to protect. He also questioned whether Saini's repeated visits to Punjab indicated an attempt to allow drug networks to regroup and return, even as Haryana sank deeper into the crisis."As the noose tightens against drugs in Punjab, traffickers have made Haryana their new base. Our efforts are producing results, and that is why they are being forced to run. Under the govt patronage, drugs are spreading there, and police officers who act against narcotics are being openly threatened," said Cheema.MSID:: 128753348 413 |