Congress condemns Punjab Health Minister's 'shameful' remark on drugs

New Delhi: The Congress Party on Monday dubbed Punjab Health Minister Surjit Kumar Jyani's remark on drugs as extremely shameful and said that one should comment on such sensitive issues only after proper information.

Congress leader P.L. Punia asked as to on the basis of which research or study such an assertion can be made.

"This is the Health Minister's personal view. On the basis of which study or research can this be said? Today, everyone in Punjab is saying the state is under the drug menace. In fact, a film 'Udta Punjab' is based on this. So, the Health Minister should comment after proper information," Punia told ANI.

Resonating similar sentiments, another Congress leader Shobha Oza told ANI the entire nation knows how drugs have finished the youth of Punjab and how there is a conspiracy of the drug peddlers where even the government is involved.

"Now, a shameful remark came from the Punjab Health Minister that only one percent of the state population is drug addict. It is very much unfortunate and condemnable," she added.

Jyani has claimed that a survey conducted in ten districts of Punjab revealed that only 1.8 percent of the population is addicted to drugs.

"We had conducted a survey in ten districts of Punjab. It shows that 1.8 percent of the population is addicted to drugs; we didn't conduct the survey in all the 22 districts of the state," Jyani told the media here.

"The survey has pointed out that the addiction of drug takes place mainly because of the peer group and because of the youth who make it a way of business," he added.

The drug menace in Punjab has become a new topic of debate post the Censor Board's decision to order massive cuts in the film 'Udta Punjab', which talked about drug menace and addiction in the state.

The Congress and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) are leaving no stones unturned to target the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD)-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) alliance government on this issue ahead of next year's assembly elections in the state.