Chandigarh. Former Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday expressed concern over the drug problem in Punjab and said that this crisis still exists and is constantly increasing. He called for strict action against this problem. After Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi is the second top Congress leader to raise the issue of drug problem in Punjab. Punjab is ruled by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) which is part of the ‘India’ alliance with the Congress but both are contesting elections against each other in Punjab.
Addressing an election rally in favour of Congress candidate from Ludhiana, Amarinder Singh Raja Warring, Gandhi also mentioned his party’s poll promises including the Mahalaxmi scheme, loan waiver for farmers and ensuring legal guarantee on minimum support price.
Rahul Gandhi raised the issue of the drug menace and said, “The problem of drug abuse is still present in Punjab and it is increasing. There is a need to take strict action against it. Punjab should fight against drug abuse with full aggression.” The Congress leader said, “Due to this, the law and order situation is deteriorating day by day. After selling land, farmers are sending their children abroad fearing that they may become victims of drug addiction. Everyone is forced to migrate due to lack of employment opportunities.” Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday alleged that if the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) comes back to power, it will abolish the Constitution.
Attacking the BJP, the Congress leader said, “For the first time a party and its leaders have said that if they win the elections, they will change the Constitution and abolish it.” Waving a copy of the Constitution, he said that it is not a book but the voice of the poor. The Congress leader alleged, “Whether it is reservation, public sector or the rights of the poor. Whatever you get, you get it from the Constitution and the BJP wants to abolish the Constitution.” Attacking Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Gandhi said that he ‘lied’ about giving two crore jobs every year.
He alleged that the Modi government has “finished off” small traders and small-medium businesses through demonetisation and GST (Goods and Services Tax) just to benefit “Adani ji and Ambani ji”. He claimed that the situation is such that the youth of the country are not getting employment. Criticising the Agneepath scheme, he called it an ‘attack’ on the soldiers and the army and alleged, “They (the government) are insulting the soldiers of the country.” Rahul Gandhi said, “They want to create two types of martyrs through this scheme. A martyr will get pension and martyr status, while an Agniveer has been made a labourer after giving him six months of training and he will not get any pension or compensation after martyrdom. He will not even get the status of a martyr..”
He said, “This is an insult to the army and we will uproot the Agniveer scheme on June 4 and throw it in the dustbin.” He said that Prime Minister Modi brought “black laws (now repealed agricultural laws) for the farmers. He did nothing for the laborers, small businessmen, on the contrary, his policies increased unemployment and inflation.” Rahul Gandhi accused Modi of waiving off loans of Rs 16 lakh crore of 22 billionaires and claimed that all airports, ports, infrastructure, solar energy and defense industry were handed over to “people like Adani”.
He said that when the Congress-led UPA government was in power, it had waived off loans of about Rs 70,000 crore of farmers. The Congress leader assured, “As soon as the All India Alliance government is formed, its first task will be to waive off agricultural loans.” The Congress leader said, “Farmers are the backbone of the country and they should be protected.” Rahul Gandhi alleged, “Farmers demanded legal guarantee on MSP. But Modi ji (Prime Minister) openly says that he will not give legal guarantee.” Referring to his party’s manifesto, he said that it is the voice of farmers, laborers and unemployed youth.