In a sharp critique of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Punjab, senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Paramjit Singh Kainth has declared the state's flagship 'Yudh Nashian Virudh' (War Against Drugs) campaign a complete "failure." Kainth, who serves as the vice-president of the BJP's Scheduled Caste Morcha in Punjab, made these allegations on Sunday, asserting that the government's policies are disconnected from ground realities.
Campaign Reduced to Mere Slogans, Data Withheld
Paramjit Singh Kainth accused the Bhagwant Mann-led administration of reducing the high-profile anti-drug drive to empty slogans. He emphasized that transparent and updated data concerning drug consumption, supply routes, and treatment outcomes has not been made public. This lack of crucial information, he argued, makes data-driven policy formulation impossible and allows the crisis to fester.
"The drug crisis will not be resolved by hiding data," stated Kainth. He urged the state government to release detailed statistics to enable a genuine assessment of the situation and formulate effective counter-strategies.
Human Cost: 280 Lives Lost and a Deepening Social Crisis
Highlighting the severe human toll, Kainth revealed that nearly 280 people have lost their lives due to drugs in the last four years. He stated that the rising fatalities from drug overdoses and spurious medicines are a clear indicator that the government has neither effectively controlled the drug supply nor established a robust system to save lives.
He pointed out that the most devastating impact of this failure is borne by Punjab's youth and the Scheduled Caste community, along with other poor and marginalized sections. Kainth linked the drug menace to unemployment, economic distress, and a lack of opportunities, which push young people towards substance abuse. The absence of adequate, accessible, and quality treatment centers, coupled with a weak rehabilitation framework, traps these communities in a vicious cycle of poverty and social inequality.
Systemic Failures: Supply Chain Intact, Treatment Inadequate
The BJP leader alleged a significant gap between policy announcements and their execution on the ground. Despite numerous campaigns, the government has consistently failed to dismantle the drug supply chain in both rural and urban areas. He claimed that law enforcement action remains largely confined to petty traffickers, while major smugglers and organized networks often evade justice.
Kainth further blamed a lack of accountability in the police and administration, compounded by allegations of political interference and corruption, for weakening the credibility of enforcement agencies and indirectly aiding the drug mafia.
On the treatment front, he criticized the government for viewing addicts as criminals rather than patients. He highlighted that government-run de-addiction centers are limited in number, inconsistent in quality, and have a weak follow-up mechanism, leading to persistently high relapse rates among those seeking help.
Concluding his remarks, Paramjit Singh Kainth appealed to the Punjab government to move beyond rhetoric and take concrete, transparent, and effective steps at the ground level to address the multifaceted drug epidemic threatening the state's future.
