PATIALA: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday said the drug problem in Punjab “exists even today and is increasing”, and called for strict action against the menace. Gandhi is the second senior Congress leader to raise the issue of the drug problem in Punjab, which is ruled by the AAP government, after Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge. Addressing a poll rally in favour of Congress’ Ludhiana candidate Amrinder Singh Raja Warring in Ludhiana’s Dakha, Gandhi also spoke about his party’s poll promises, including the Mahalakshmi scheme, loan waiver for farmers and ensuring legal guarantee on minimum support price if the INDIA bloc comes to power. Gandhi raked up the issue of the drug menace during the rally and said, ”The drug issue in Punjab exists even today and it is increasing. ”Strict action needs to be taken against it. Punjab should fight against drugs with full authority and aggression,” he said. On Tuesday, Kharge in Amritsar said the drug problem has become the biggest challenge for the future of Punjab. ”Because of this, the law and order situation is deteriorating day by day. After selling land, farmers are sending their children abroad, fearing that they will not fall prey to drugs. Each one is forced to migrate as employment opportunities are not available,” the Congress president had said. The Congress and the AAP, which are the constituents of the INDIA bloc, are fighting the Lok Sabha polls separately in Punjab. Taking on the BJP government, Gandhi said, ”For the first time, any party and their leaders have said that they will change and scrap the Constitution if they win the election.” Holding a copy of the Constitution, he said it was not only a book but the voice of the poor. ”Be it reservation, the public sector or rights of the poor. Whatever you get it, it is from the Constitution and the BJP wants to finish the Constitution, alleged the Congress leader. Attacking Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Gandhi said he ”lied” about giving two crore jobs every year. The Modi government has ”finished” small traders, and small-medium businesses with demonetisation and GST (goods and services tax) just to benefit, ”Adani ji and Ambani ji”, he said. The situation is such that the country’s youth are not getting employment, he claimed. Slamming the Agnipath scheme, he said it was an ”attack” on jawans and the army. ”They are insulting jawans of the country,” he alleged. ”They want to make two types of martyrs with this scheme. One martyr will get pension and martyr status while an Agniveer, who has been turned into a labourer, will get six-month training and after martyrdom, no pension, compensation and martyr status,” he said. ”It is an insult to the army and we will tear up the Agniveer scheme and throw it in the dustbin on June 4,” he said. He said Modi brought ”black laws” (now-repealed farm laws) for farmers and did nothing for labourers and small traders while his policies have increased unemployment and inflation. Gandhi accused Modi of waiving Rs 16 lakh crore of 22 ‘arabpatis’ and alleged that all airports, ports, infrastructure, solar power, and defence industry were handed over to ”people like Adani”. He said when the Congress-led UPA government was in power, it waived around Rs 70,000 crore of debt of farmers, he said. As soon as the INDIA bloc government is formed, its first job will be to waive farm debt, he said, adding, ”Farmers are the backbone of the country and they should be protected”. ”Farmers demanded a legal guarantee on MSP. (PM) Modi ji openly says that he will not give a legal guarantee,” alleged Gandhi. Referring to his party’s manifesto, he said it is the voice of farmers, labourers and unemployed youth. He said the party manifesto incorporated what he got to know from people during his 4,000 km long Bharat Jodo Yatra. Slain singer Sidhu Moosewala’s father Balkaur Singh was also present at the rally. It was the second death anniversary of Moosewala on Wednesday. Shubhdeep Singh Sidhu, popularly known as Sidhu Moosewala, was shot dead in Punjab’s Mansa district on May 29, 2022.
