CHANDIGARH: Haryana BJP President Om Parkash Dhankar has reiterated his allegations of rising drug and liquor abuse at the farmer protest sites at Singhu and Tikri in Jhajjar and Sonipat districts of the state. The umberlla body of protesting organisations, Sanyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) has, however, countered the charges, saying it was just a tactic to bring disrepute to the farm activists.
“We had been getting the complaints from village panchayats. People are complaining to us individually as well. The drug mafia and liquor mafia are spreading their wings at the farmers agitations,” Dhankar claimed, taling to TOI.
“People do not talk about it in open, hence we have raised this issue. This has to be addressed as this is question of young lives now,” he added.
“Even village panchayats have now raised this issue during the hearing of the high power committee headed by additional chief secretary for home. If you have any doubts, carry out an independent survey in area around Singhu and Tikri. Start from villages of Badli itself,” he said.
On the other hand, SKM member Yogender Yadav, when contacted, dismissed the allegation, claiming it was yet another method devised by BJP and its government to defame the agitation.
“Human lives are just as important for us and SKM would never tolerate such instances, especially of intoxication and drug abuse at protest sites. We shall be the first to bring such people to book and protect our children. I wish, they (BJP and its government) would come out with the solid, hard evidence of this,” said Yadav.
“Their main aim is to derail the agitations. Initially, they blamed the protests for growing number of Covid cases in rural Haryana and claimed those visiting the stir sites were responsible,” Yadav said.
