Amit Shah Sets December 31 2029 Deadline for a Drug-Free India at Chandigarh Police Raising Day
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday set December 31, 2029, as the deadline for making India completely drug-free, declaring that the campaign will cover every part of the country, including Punjab. Addressing the 60th Raising Day celebrations of the Chandigarh Police, Shah said he was confident that Chandigarh would be among the first cities in the country to become drug-free and could set an example for the rest of India in the fight against narcotics.
Shah pointed to Chandigarh Police’s record after the implementation of the three new criminal laws, saying the force has secured conviction in 93 per cent of NDPS cases and sent the accused to jail. He noted that the three new criminal laws, introduced by the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, were first rolled out from Chandigarh, marking the country’s move away from the three punitive laws enacted during British rule.
The Home Minister said the country is progressing at an unprecedented pace under Prime Minister Modi’s leadership. He listed the abrogation of Article 370, the elimination of Naxalism and the abolition of triple talaq among the government’s landmark decisions, and said welfare measures such as free foodgrains, electrification and sanitation have reached households across the country. He added that despite disruptions in Parliament by the opposition, the government remains committed to implementing 33 per cent reservation for women.
Speaking in Chandigarh, Shah also strongly criticised the INDIA bloc’s rally at Delhi’s Ramlila Maidan on Sunday, saying it was held on the anniversary of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots and would rub salt into the wounds of the victims’ families. He said the BJP had earlier requested through a press conference that the opposition not hold the event on November 1, 2 and 3, out of respect for the sentiments of the Sikh community. Shah said the Modi government has reopened all cases against the rioters, provided financial assistance of Rs 5 lakh to each victim, and ensured that key Congress leaders were put behind bars.
Shah said that with the resolve to build a drug-free India, Chandigarh Police would lead the country’s efforts against drug abuse, and that by December 31, 2029, the entire country, including Punjab, would be drug-free.
