Amit Shah to launch BJP's drugs campaign Jan 22

Chandigarh, Jan 4 (IANS) BJP president Amit Shah will launch the party's campaign against drugs from Amritsar Jan 22, a senior BJP leader said Sunday.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Sukhminderpal Singh Grewal said that the campaign would be launched under the aegis of the party's youth wing, Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM).

"BJYM president and MP Anurag Thakur and Punjab BJP chief Kamal Sharma would be supervising the campaign against drugs. The drive would cover Punjab state in three phases, with its culmination to take place on the occasion of Baisakhi on April 14," he said.

Grewal said BJP leaders would tour villages and towns to create awareness about drug menace and educate people on the harm that drugs are doing to the state.

The BJP's drugs campaign has become a bone of contention with its alliance partner in Punjab, the Shiromani Akali Dal.

The Akali Dal, in a clear move to preempt the BJP campaign, has announced its own protests against drugs in Punjab's border belt to be held Monday (Jan 5).

Differences between the BJP and Akali Dal leaders emerged after Sharma demanded that state Revenue Minister Bikram Singh Majithia should resign as he had been summoned by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for alleged links to money-laundering by some NRIs in a Rs.6,000 crore international synthetic drugs racket busted by the Punjab Police in 2013.

Grewal said that the BJP wants Majithia ousted from the Parkash Singh Badal government in the state.

He said that the Akali Dal protests against the Border Security Force (BSF) over the drugs issue could demoralise the force.