Start agitation against drugs, Harsimrat Badal appeals to Punjab women
Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Harsimrat Kaur Badal on Tuesday appealed to the Mai Bhago di Fauj to start an ‘andolan’ against drugs on the pattern of the Kisan Andolan, asserting “only a large-scale sustained campaign by those who are most affected by this menace can eradicate it once and for all”.
IANS
Nov 10, 2026 05:49
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Amritsar, Nov 10 (IANS) Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Harsimrat Kaur Badal on Tuesday appealed to the Mai Bhago di Fauj to start an ‘andolan’ against drugs on the pattern of the Kisan Andolan, asserting “only a large-scale sustained campaign by those who are most affected by this menace can eradicate it once and for all”.
The Bathinda MP, who addressed gatherings of women at Attari and Raja Sansi in Amritsar district, said, “I appeal to you to start a mass movement against drugs by forming ‘jathas’ to make these messengers of death aware that you are fully organised to take them on. You should also start ‘thikri pehra’ in your villages to deny access to drug traffickers.”
Asserting that the women themselves would have to take charge of the fight against drugs, Harsimrat Badal said: “Both the previous Congress and the present Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) governments have failed you. Instead of fulfilling their ‘guarantee’ to end this menace, they have presided over its spread.”
She also accused the AAP government of betraying women by promising them Rs 60,000 but disbursing only Rs 3,000 to purchase their votes.
“Is this ‘satkar’ (respect) for women or an insult to them?” She said if anybody had respected women as a chief minister, it was Parkash Singh Badal who started the ‘Shagun’ scheme for them, besides distributing cycles to girls and initiating the ‘aata –daal’ scheme.
“All this and more was done without giving any guarantee”, she added.
Harsimrat Badal also said the situation had become such that Punjab was ranked number one in drug smuggling and number two in drug overdose deaths.
“Even while we have achieved this dubious distinction under the AAP rule, we have gone down to the 18th position in education and health parameters nationally. This is the reason why women are coming up to me everywhere and telling me they have no demand except ending the drug menace in the state,” she added.
--IANS
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