AAP stages sit-in against Punjab's drug menace

The Aam Aadmi Party today staged a dharna here against the drug menace in Punjab.

The main opposition party attacked the Congress-led government over the alleged spate of drug overdose deaths in the state and sought a high court-monitored CBI inquiry into the matter.

Addressing the party workers, AAP MLA and the Leader of Opposition in the Punjab Assembly Sukhpal Singh Khaira accused Chief Minister Amarinder Singh of fooling people with his poll promise of wiping out the drug menace in the state within four weeks of coming to power.

The AAP leaders demanded strict action against politicians and police officers involved in the drug trade and a special session of the Punjab assembly to discuss the issue of drug abuse.

Khaira alleged that Singh's government had failed to act against Akali leaders who were allegedly involved in the drug trade.

The chief minister has invited a delegation of AAP leaders to meet him tomorrow to discuss issues like drug menace, party MLA Kanwar Sandhu said.

Officer on special Duty (OSD) to the chief minister Sandeep Singh Sandhu reached the dharna spot and received a memorandum of demands from the AAP leaders.

Soon after, the opposition party called off the sit-in and announced that the next course of action would be decided after meeting the chief minister.

Sangrur MP Bhagwant Mann and AAP state unit co-president Balbir Singh also participated in the protest.