Srinagar: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Saturday accused the National Conference (NC) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) of attempting to derail the ongoing “Nasha Mukht Jammu and Kashmir” campaign launched by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha.
Addressing a press conference at the BJP’s state office in Jawahar Nagar Srinagar, party leaders said the 100-day anti-drug campaign had received overwhelming support from the people, particularly students, youth organisations, and civil society groups across Jammu and Kashmir.
BJP spokesperson Altaf Thakur criticised the ruling National Conference for allegedly politicising what he described as a serious social issue.
He said a drug-free Jammu and Kashmir remains a key mission of the BJP and asserted that the party would continue to support strict action aimed at dismantling narcotics networks operating in the Union Territory.
Thakur appreciated the measures taken by the LG administration against drug peddlers, including the attachment and demolition of properties allegedly acquired through narcotics trade. He said narco-terrorism had emerged as a major national security concern and called for decisive action against the entire ecosystem involved in drug trafficking.
Another BJP spokesperson, Sahil Bashir, accused the PDP of indirectly defending drug peddlers through recent public statements and social media posts.
He said it was unfortunate that instead of supporting families affected by drug addiction, some political parties were allegedly trying to create sympathy for individuals involved in narcotics trade.
“Anybody found involved in the drug trade deserves strict legal action rather than political cover or selective outrage,” he said.
Speaking on the occasion, BJP spokesperson Danish Bhat criticised Cabinet Minister Sakeena Itoo over remarks related to the anti-drug campaign, terming them “irresponsible and divisive.”
Danish Bhat said that at a time when society was collectively supporting the anti-drug movement, attempts to give the campaign a political or regional colour were unfortunate and against public interest.
He further said that as the holder of important portfolios such as Health and Education, Sakeena Itoo should support efforts aimed at protecting the youth from drug abuse instead of making statements that, according to him, weaken the campaign against narcotics.
Bhat also demanded that the LG administration widen the scope of investigations into drug networks and probe alleged protection extended to drug mafias during previous governments.
He claimed that the reaction from certain regional political parties indicated that the ongoing crackdown had significantly affected entrenched narcotics networks operating in Jammu and Kashmir over the years.
