Punjab’s fight against drugs: Harbhajan’s remarks on AAP’s bulldozer justice trigger row
Aam Aadmi Party Rajya Sabha member Harbhajan Singh has triggered a controversy by opposing the Bhagwant Mann-led AAP government’s demolition drive against drug peddlers in Punjab, saying “bulldozing is not the solution”. AAP leader Somnath Bharti hit back at his party colleague, terming his remark about the state government’s War Against Drugs initiative “completely uncalled for”.
Harbhajan is the second Rajya Sabha member of the AAP in the past two days to disagree with the party’s stand after AAP MP Ashok Kumar Mittal praised the BJP-led Centre for renaming colonial-era places on Monday.
Taking on Harbhajan for opposing the Punjab government’s drive, Bharti posted on X, “Harbhajan_Singh ji, learnt that you have opposed bulldozer action of AAP’s Punjab govt against drug lords who have destroyed youth, the future of Punjab. These drug lords have ruined lakhs of families, they have trampled dreams of aged parents, they have put on fire dreams of newly wedded girls and you are favouring them? Your statement favouring drug mafia is absolutely uncalled for.”
On Tuesday, Harbhajan opposed the demolition drive, saying: “I am not in favour of demolishing houses. Instead, the drug suppliers and smugglers should be arrested, according to the law. They should be sensitised about the ill-effects of drug abuse. It is not right to raze any house, which provides a roof to other family members. I am not aware how these houses were built and with whose money, but there must be some other alternative. This is not the right approach. If someone has occupied government land, the authorities should take action and reclaim it. But instead of demolishing homes, the government should relocate residents before vacating the space.”
Bharti said Harbhajan’s statement was wrong as Punjab has been converted into a land of drugs. “These drug lords have destroyed the land of our revered Gurus. The land of spirituality has been converted to the land of drugs and the ones who are responsible for this must be punished severely,” Bharti posted on X on Wednesday.
He condemned Harbhajan’s statement, saying that as a youth icon, he should be saying and doing things to save the youngsters of Punjab. “You are a youth icon and you should be seen saying and doing things to save the youth of youth of Punjab but your statement reflects otherwise,” Bharti said.
He added a word of caution saying, “Anything to the contrary of the public statements or actions of the party, our leaders and our governments should be strictly avoided. There is enough democracy in my party and you should have opted to voice any such thing before the leadership and not in public.”
The Punjab government launched its campaign against drug traffickers on February 28. It has demolished more than two dozen illegal structures built using drug money since the drive began.
