Test Rahul, Vadra for drugs: Akalis

October 13, 2012

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Chandigarh, October 13: In the full-scale political war that broke out after Rahul Gandhi's comments on the menace of drug addiction among Punjab's young men, the Akalis have now asked Rahul to "undergo a dope test."

"Rahul Gandhi and Robert Vadra should undergo a dope test to prove that they are not addicts before making such comments about Punjab's youth. Rahul Gandhi must apologise to the youth for this humiliation," said senior SAD leader Prem Singh Chandumajra.

On Friday, Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal also reacted, saying that Rahul's statement on seven out of 10 young people in Punjab being addicts was "illogical, erroneous, politically-motivated and above all a deliberate conspiracy to tarnish the image of our youth and an onslaught on their dignity."

Congress legislators led by the leader of the Opposition in the assembly, Sunil Jakhar, circulated copies of the affidavit filed by the secretary, social security and women and child welfare, Punjab, with the Punjab and Haryana High Court, stating the facts about drug addiction in Punjab.

"The SAD-BJP government in Punjab is a national shame because it knows nothing of what is happening in the state and cannot protect its future. The government must resign for this," said Sunil Jakhar.

Badal Senior, however, accused Gandhi for being misinformed on this count, adding that Gandhi should have "cross-checked the factual position from the Centre before issuing such provocative and half-baked statements."

Sukhbir Badal hit out at Rahul Gandhi for "insulting the 52% youth population of Punjab, painting virtually every single youngster with a black taint. Western borders are so porous that drug recoveries by Punjab police during the last five years were more than 50% of national recovery," said Sukhbir.

He was supported by Punjab revenue minister Bikarm Singh Majithia, who saw a "sinister and devious political game-plan" behind Rahul's "deliberate misuse of distorted figures from a reported survey to dub the Punjabi youngsters as drug addicts."

The Congress, however, tore into SAD's defence. Congress MP from Anandpur Sahib Ravneet Singh Bittu, who had launched a month-long campaign against drugs in Punjab, said" "There are more medical stores in the state handing out medicines abused by youngsters than there are liquor vends. There are more unlicensed vends than licensed vends in the state. Government is misleading people into thinking all is well because drug addiction is such a taboo."

"A Punjab-origin British national is arrested. Raja Khandola, a drug lord active in the US, arrested. If you join the dots, it is a dangerous mix in Punjab. Unemployed youngsters, hooked on to drugs and a sinister neighbour, Pakistan, ever ready to create unrest," said Jakhar.

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News Network
January 27,2020

Jan 27: Bollywood Film Director Anurag Kashyap, who has been vocal about his political views on social media, slammed Union Minister Amit Shah and accused him of being 'cheap'.

"How timid our Home Minister is. Its own police, its own goons, its own army and security increases and invades unarmed protestors. Amit Shah has crossed the extent of cheapness and inferiority. History will spit on this animal," Kashyap tweeted.

The film director has taken an active part in the anti-Citizenship Act protest rallies and was against the Jawaharlal Nehru violence. He also came in support of his contemporary Deepika Padukone when the latter faced backlash for showing up at JNU in support of the students.

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News Network
June 19,2020

New Delhi, Jun 19: RJD and AAP were not invited to the all-party meeting called by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday to discuss the situation at the India-China border after 20 Indian soldiers were killed in a "violent face-off," leaving the parties fuming.

Top RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav criticised the government for not inviting the party to the meeting, asking on Twitter late Thursday night, "Just wish to know the criteria for inviting political parties for tomorrow's (Friday's) all-party meet on Galwan Valley. I mean the grounds of inclusion/exclusion. Because our party hasn't received any message so far."

AAP's Rajya Sabha leader Sanjay Singh joined the chorus, "there is a strange ego-driven government at the centre. AAP has a government in Delhi and is the main opposition in Punjab. We have four MPs. But on a vital subject, AAP's views are not needed? The country is waiting for what the Prime Minister will say at the meeting."

Sources said the government has set a criteria to invite only parties with five or more MPs in Parliament for the digital meet, where the Prime Minister will brief the top leaders of parties and hear their views on the way ahead. There are at least 27 parties in the Parliament, which have less than five members, while 17 have more than five members or more than five MPs.

Interestingly, RJD has five MPs in Rajya Sabha and its senior MP Manoj K Jha shared the Rajya Sabha website link on Twitter, which showed the party has five MPs. "We have not been invited and the government's bogus argument has been exposed," Jha said.

CPI leaders said General Secretary D Raja received a call from Defence Minister Rajnath Singh inviting him to the meeting and with a message that the Prime Minister's Office would coordinate but there was no follow-up after that.

"Exclusion of AAP and RJD in the all-party meet on a National debate does not augment well. AAP is ruling Delhi and has its CM. Why should people of Delhi be kept out in such an important debate on National integrity and Sovereignty?" former NCP MP Majeed Memon tweeted.

During the all-party meeting on COVID-19 too, the government had not called all parties with representation in Parliament to the all-party meeting in April and had set five MPs as a benchmark to be invited.

Raja had then written a letter to Modi demanding that the government should not get into "technicalities" and discuss the issue with all parties in Parliament.

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News Network
March 26,2020

New Delhi, Mar 26: Despite repeated assurances by the Centre and state government of no shortage of food and essential services in Delhi, many daily wage earners have started fleeing the national capital on foot to return to their native villages in nearby Uttar Pradesh and other states because of the hardships being faced by them.
Most daily wage earners who are fleeing have complained that they are doing so because they will die of hunger due to lack of resources at their disposal.
"I am going to Azamgarh, my native place which is more than 800 kilometers from here. We have started walking towards our village. On the roads, if we get some vehicles then it will be all right otherwise we will continue on foot. I used to work in the construction sector but all work has stopped, we therefore have no other means to buy our rations. Atleast, food is guaranteed in our homes," Ghanshyam, a daily wage earner, told ANI here.
Rani, another daily wage earner, who was fleeing Delhi along with her family said, "Who would want to leave on foot, but what other options do we have. Our children will die of hunger, even if they are saved from the disease. That is why we are leaving."
While the government has been assuring that it will provide food and other essentials to the low-income groups, the people complained that they are yet to receive any help.
The departing of people has started despite repeated warnings by governments to prevent the influx of persons living in other states to curtail the spread of coronavirus.
Prince, who used to reside in Mongolpuri area of Delhi, said, "If we continue to stay the landlord will pester us for rent. The prices of all commodities are rising with each passing day, this way we will have nothing left to survive. We did not get any help from the government. I am, therefore, returning to Kasganj, which is close to 300 kilometres from Delhi. We will at least get food served twice a day in the village, nobody is offering us even water here."
Earlier on Tuesday, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had announced Rs 5,000 for each construction worker under Construction Workers Welfare Board Fund.
Addressing a video conference here, he said, "The Delhi government will give Rs 5,000 to each construction worker as their livelihood has been affected due the outbreak of coronavirus."
He also said that the number of night shelters in the city has been increased and more food is being distributed to homeless people.
He also said that due to curfew, several people were not able to get food, and urged the public to send such people to the nearest shelters of the Delhi government, where food was being arranged.

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