Chandigarh, Oct 28 (IANS) Calling on womenfolk to turn their villages and neighbourhoods into the first line of defence against Punjab’s drug menace, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader and Bathinda MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal on Wednesday urged the party’s women’s wing, Maavan Dheeyan Di Fauj, to organise traditional ‘thikri pehra’ (community night patrols) in every village and mohalla to curb drug trafficking.
Addressing a gathering of women at a Maavan Dheeyan Di rally in Kharar town, near here, she said the fight against drugs was deeply personal for the women of Punjab, who had borne the brunt of the crisis as families struggled with its devastating consequences.
“For the women of Punjab, ending the scourge of drugs is their number one priority,” she said, adding that SAD had launched a women-led campaign against drugs because women had suffered the most from the menace.
Urging the gathering to stand united against drug traffickers, she called on women to identify those allegedly involved in selling drugs and those suspected of protecting them.
She said community vigilance and collective action could help expose the drug trade and hold those responsible accountable.
The SAD leader said the party, if voted to power in 2027, would establish a special task force headed by a woman Director General of Police to take on the drug mafia.
She also promised stricter laws, including a proposed 10-year denial of bail to drug traffickers and confiscation of their properties, with the proceeds intended to compensate victims.
Harsimrat Badal also raised concerns over what she described as the growing intimidation of people speaking out against drugs.
Referring to the reported removal of Daljit Singh’s body by police while his mortal remains were being taken to a protest site, she alleged that his family members were assaulted when they tried to stop the police.
She linked the incident to the ongoing struggle for justice by the family of Parvinder Singh Jhota, an anti-drug campaigner, accusing the Aam Aadmi Party government of failing to curb trafficking and protect complainants and whistleblowers.
She also referred to the reported detention of a CISF constable who had raised allegations of drug use at Government Rajindra Hospital in Patiala, saying such incidents could discourage people from speaking out against the drug trade.
Harsimrat Badal criticised Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann for allegedly refusing to meet Jhota’s family, claiming that the government had failed to demonstrate the urgency the situation demanded.
She further cited the cases of Mohanjit Singh, who she alleged was tortured after protesting against the drug trade, and Gulzar Singh of Dirba, who she said died by suicide after being harassed for questioning the alleged sale of ‘chitta’, a colloquial term for heroin.
–IANS
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