DW BUREAU / Patiala

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Sunday called upon the people of the state to come forward and join the war against drugs and corruption to make it a mass movement. Addressing a function organised by the Aggarwal Sabha at Nabha in Patiala district along with AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal, the chief minister said the state government has launched a war against the menace of drugs and corruption, which can be successful only with the proactive support and cooperation of the people.

"This is a fight for the coming generations, which cannot be won without the common man's backing," Mann said, seeking people's support for the cause so that Punjab can emerge as a progressive and frontrunner state. The war against drugs must be transformed into a mass movement for which people should work hard, he added. "Our fight will continue till the curse of drugs is completely wiped out. It is pivotal to make Punjab a drug-free state," Mann said.

The chief minister also said the "bulldozer drive" to demolish properties of drug smugglers will continue in the state.

"The action is being taken according to law to ensure that those dealing in drugs are dealt a fatal blow," Mann said.

Calling the scourge of drugs a blot on the face of the state, the chief minister said it took more than two years for the state government to chalk out a strategy to wipe out this curse.

Mann also said that he raised the issues of water sharing and "high-handedness" of the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) before the prime minister during the NITI Aayog governing council meeting held in Delhi on Saturday.

Speaking on the occasion, Kejriwal alleged that the previous regimes in Punjab not only "patronised" the drug dealers, but also actively helped to carry out the business in government vehicles.

However, the Bhagwant Mann government is acting strictly against the drug dealers, Kejriwal claimed, adding that it will not allow Punjab's youth to fall prey to this menace.

The former Delhi chief minister also claimed that the Punjab Police has broken the backbone of drug dealers in the state, for which he lauded the force. Properties constructed using drug money have been razed to dust using bulldozers, Kejriwal said.

(editor@dailyworld.in)