Rahul Gandhi vows to end drug menace for Punjab's future

JALANDHAR: Reaching out to the youth ahead of next year's assembly polls, Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi on Monday cornered the BJP-SAD alliance government over the drug menace in Punjab and vowed to curb the same within a month if the grand old party is voted to power. Accusing the Akalis of protecting the drugs business in Punjab, Gandhi said: "Akalis mocked me when I said drug is destroying Punjab's future." Gandhi, who was addressing an anti-drug rally in Jalandhar, reiterated that drugs need to be eliminated to save Punjab's future. "If the Congress comes to power, the drug problem will be curbed in a month because we intend to give more powers to the police," he said. Referring to the current controversy surrounding 'Udta Punjab', Gandhi said: "Movies are being banned. They have banned 'Udta Punjab'. They still don't want to accept the reality." The Congress vice-president also said the drug menace can only be eliminated if the police are given more power. "There are good police officers in Punjab Police who want to work but the state government isn't giving them required freedom to function. We intend to give more powers to the police," he added. Meanwhile, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has dubbed Gandhi's protest against drugs as ridiculous and alleged that the Congress was adopting double standards as the grand party had failed to initiate any action on the same when the matter was brought to the notice of former prime minister Dr. Manmohan Singh. The Congress vice-president's protest comes at a time when there is an ongoing controversy over certification of Bollywood film 'Udta Punjab', based on the menace of drugs in the state