Navjot Singh Sidhu Sparks Another Controversy, Bats For Legalising Opium In Punjab

Amritsar, October 1: Punjab Cabinet Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu has sparked another controversy Yesterday by suggesting to legalise opium in Punjab. Sidhu supported Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MP from Patiala Dharamvira Gandhi for legalising cultivation, sale and consumption of opium. He even supported legalising the by-product poppy husk in the state. The Punjab cabinet minister said that cultivation of opium is better than the cultivation of heroin (Chitta).

On Saturday, during a rally at Muktsar grain market, the suspended AAP MP advocated legalising poppy cultivation. According to reports, in July this year, the AAP MP had even submitted a memorandum to Union home minister Rajnath Singh on legalising opium. Punjab Teen Science Deep Singh Leads a Campaign to End Drugs, Impresses Chief Minister

Sidhu’s statement has come at a time when the state is battling with the drug menace. In July,  Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh demanded the death penalty for drug peddlers. The Punjab cabinet also sent a recommendation to the Centre regarding this. According to a new study in Amritsar, around 70 percent young Punjabi men are hooked on drugs or alcohol. A recent study says that more than 8,60,000 young men in Punjab consume some form of drugs. The chief minister had also ordered a dope test for all state government employees.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 01, 2018 10:20 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).