Shiromani Akali Dal chief Sukhbir Singh Badal today urged all Punjabis to rise above political affiliations to fight a comprehensive war against the drug menace prevalent in the state.
But he accused the Congress government in the state of failing to eradicate the drug menace from the state.
"This is no time for playing politics and the SAD will not fall to the temptation to take political advantage out of the government's total failure to live up to its promise to tackle the drug menace in four weeks," Badal said.
"We appeal to all Punjabis to rise above political affiliations and come together on a single platform to fight a common enemy," he said in a statement in Chandigarh.
He said it was unfortunate that a few political parties had tried to draw political milege on the issue before the last assembly election.
"Instead of pooling their energies and efforts in the war on drugs launched by the (previous) Badal government, our opponents launched a vicious vilification campaign against Punjab itself, painting 70 per cent of the youth of the state as drug addicts. This was done merely to show the government in poor light," he said.
The Congress government in the state is facing the heat on the drug issue after several people died last month apparently due to drug overdose.
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