Chandigarh, January 11
Expressing concern over the continuous deaths of youth due to drugs, Former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda said BJP has turned Haryana into a hub of drugs, opium, chitta, heroin, brown sugar, smack, hashish, ganja, cocaine, bhang and sulpha. “Ever since BJP has come to power in the state, drug dealers are fearlessly expanding their empire. Their network has now reached every village, street and locality of the state. From youth to women and young children, everyone is losing their lives to this,” he stated.
Hooda said Haryana was known for its pure food, energetic youth, young men and sportsmen, but BJP has made it ‘Udta Haryana’ in the name of drugs. “A report was presented in the Rajya Sabha in December 2023 by the Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment itself. According to this, 16.51 percent of the drug addicts in Haryana use opium and its drugs, even heroin and chitta. 11% people use ganja, bhang and hashish for intoxication. 5 percent people also use narcotic drugs taken for sleep and people also use cocaine in large quantities,” he said.
He also said the Union Ministry has also admitted that now the teenagers of Haryana are also getting trapped in the clutches of drugs like cannabis, ganja, hashish, opium, heroine and cocaine. Not only this, a large number of teenagers are also being pushed into the business of drug smuggling.
“The extent to which drug addiction has increased under the protection of the government can be gauged from the fact that in the last 5 years, about 15 lakh people from different districts of the state have reached the OPDs and de-addiction centers of government hospitals. However, this figure can be many times bigger because lakhs of people trapped in the quagmire of drug addiction do not come forward for treatment and ruin their lives,” he added.
Hooda said the connivance of the government, poor law and order along with the increasing unemployment in the state is also a big reason for the increasing drug addiction. “The youth frustrated by unemployment are getting trapped in the clutches of drugs and crime and are ruining their future. The BJP, sitting in power, is constantly making policies which increase unemployment, crime and drug addiction in the state,” he added.
With the government remaining a mute spectator, Hooda has appealed to the parents and the aware people of the state to be vigilant against the increasing drug addiction. “Parents should take special care of their children and youth. They should talk to family members on sensitive issues like drug addiction and make everyone aware of its dangers. They must keep an eye on the activities around you and your children and do not hesitate to raise your voice against it. Congress is committed to fight this issue from the streets to the Vidhan Sabha,” he said.
