Former chief minister and Congress candidate from Amritsar Capt. Amarinder Singh on Saturday told Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi that home grown cheap synthetic drugs were more dangerous and devastating than narco-terrorism.
"It was looking quite paradoxical that Modi was delivering his "sermon" on narco-terrorism with Bikram Majithia, the kingpin of drug trafficking in Punjab on his side," said Amarinder Singh.
Those present on the occasion included Surjit Singh Kohli, the brother of the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Soni, Raj Kumar Verma, Surinder Singla, Bir Devinder Singh, Gurjeet Aujla and Ashwani Kumar Pappu.
He wondered how embarrassed Modi would feel once he gets to know that when he was comparing drug trafficking with terrorism, when Punjab counterpart who was sitting beside him had suggested legalising of the drug trade in Punjab two days back.
He said, although the borders were completely sealed, drugs were getting smuggled into India. He pointed out that large haul of drugs was regularly seized along the border.
However, Amarinder Singh clarified that in Punjab the problem was caused by synthetic drugs manufactured within the state which were cheap and easily available.
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"It was in this trade that Majithia was involved and had been named by the enforcement directorate in challan presented in a court related to the case of dismissed DSP Jagdish Bhola", he clarified.
He lashed out at Narendra Modi for his personal attacks on Sonia Gandhi and her daughter Priyanka Gandhi by frequently referring to "Ma-Beti" ki sarkar.
"Is this the kind of respect he accords to women in the country, particularly to mothers and daughters?" he asked.
At the same time, he reminded Modi that he was making this shameless and senseless statement at a place which had been looted and robbed by Baap-Bete ki sarkar (of Parkash Singh Badal and Sukhbir Badal)
Amarinder recalled that when Modi came to Punjab for the first time to Jagaraon on February 23, he had promised that farmers in Punjab would not face any kind of trouble from Gujarat anymore.
"Two months have already passed and nothing has been done. He lashed out at Badal for timidly keeping quiet on this crucial issue.
He also said that there was a huge gap between what Modi preached and what he practised.