Sukhbir Badal takes dual stand on poppy husk and liquor vends in Rajasthan and Punjab

BATHINDA: Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal has taken dual stand on sale of drugs in Rajasthan and Punjab. While he has opposed the re-opening of poppy husk vends in neighbouring Rajasthan, he (Punjab Government) is contesting a case in the Supreme Court demanding to reopen liquor vends in along the national highway in Punjab.Sukhbir Badal while talking to media persons here yesterday termed the re-opening of poppy vends in Rajasthan as unfortunate after the High Court of Rajasthan had earlier ordered its closure across the state. The Supreme Court has however struck down the High Court court order. Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal had in the past alleged that drugs were being pushed into Punjab from BJP ruled Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. The SAD leaders have also demanded to ban opium cultivation in Madhya Pradesh.Sukhbir Badal said that in a democratic country two different laws cannot exist on same issue and that the Punjab government was exploring legal angles in this situation. He stated that Punjab was victim of wrong policies on dealing with the drug addiction issue. Reiterating the fact that drugs weren’t produced in Punjab in any form, the deputy CM laid emphasis on need to have uniform policy against drugs in state.Intrerestingly, Punjab Government has filed a Special Leave Petition in the Supreme Court seeking to quash an order of Punjab and Haryana High Court which banned liquor vends along the natiopnal highway in Punjab. The High Court had observed that liquor vends on highways are main cause of road accidents. Incidently Ludhiana and Amritsar cities of Punjab, located on the national highway, have been named to have highest road fatality rate in whole of country.Punjab has became infamous for drug menace and many of the ruling party leaders have been facing charges of involvement in the drug racket and sale of syntehtic drugs allegedly manufactured in the state.