BJP Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha has targeted the Bhagwant Mann-led Punjab government over the state’s drug problem and announced a statewide Nasha Mukt Punjab Yatra from September 18 to 30.

Chadha alleged that drugs continue to remain easily available in Punjab, including through what he described as “home delivery”. He said the yatra would begin from four different locations across the state and would focus on the BJP’s roadmap to make Punjab drug-free.

Raghav Chadha targets Punjab government over drugs

Chadha questioned the Punjab government’s claim of having curbed the drug menace in the state. His remarks came in the context of the recent death of Gulzar Singh, who had reportedly raised concerns about the worsening drug situation.

Chadha alleged that Singh faced pressure and harassment after raising the issue and that this drove him to take his own life. These were allegations made by Chadha and should not be treated as established findings unless confirmed by the investigation.

Chadha also alleged that a BJP delegation was stopped from meeting Gulzar Singh’s family and offering condolences. He further claimed that drugs continued to be available through home delivery in Punjab.

Nasha Mukt Punjab Yatra to begin September 18

The Nasha Mukt Punjab Yatra will be held from September 18 to 30, according to Chadha.

He said the yatra would start from four different locations in Punjab. During the campaign, the BJP plans to present its detailed roadmap and strategy for making the state drug-free.

The announcement comes as the drug issue becomes an increasingly important political issue ahead of the Punjab Assembly elections. The BJP is seeking to make the issue a major campaign point against the Mann government.

Chadha questions AAP’s claim on drug control

Taking aim at the AAP government, Chadha said Punjab had reached a situation where people were allegedly standing in queues for drugs in a manner comparable to queues for ration.

He questioned how the government could claim that the drug menace had been eliminated while making these allegations about continued drug availability.

An IndiGo flight travelling from Lucknow to Dammam in Saudi Arabia made an emergency landing at Ahmedabad airport on Thursday evening after a bomb threat was reported on board.

The flight, numbered 6E97, landed at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Ahmedabad Airport at 5:45 pm. All 107 passengers and six crew members on board were safely disembarked after the aircraft landed.

According to airport police, a crew member found the word “bomb” written on a piece of paper on the flight. The discovery prompted the emergency landing in Ahmedabad.

Police and CISF search aircraft

Local police and the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) carried out a search of the aircraft following the threat.

Officials said that nothing suspicious had been found on board so far. The passengers and crew were safely taken off the aircraft as security personnel examined the plane.

The incident comes days after another flight faced a similar security scare at Ahmedabad airport.

On August 31, an Air India Express flight travelling from Dammam to New Delhi made an emergency landing in Ahmedabad after a crew member found a message on a tissue paper claiming that there was a bomb on board. That threat was later found to be a hoax.

Chinese President Xi Jinping will visit India on September 12 and 13 to attend the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi, China’s foreign ministry has confirmed.

The announcement ends days of uncertainty over whether Xi would travel to India for the high-profile summit. The visit has particular significance as it will be his first trip to India in seven years.

According to China’s foreign ministry, Xi will travel to New Delhi at the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and participate in the BRICS Summit.

Xi Jinping’s first India visit in seven years

Xi’s upcoming visit comes after a period of strained India-China relations following the 2020 Galwan Valley border clashes. The clashes resulted in the deaths of 20 Indian soldiers, while the number of Chinese casualties was not known.

The Chinese president last visited India in 2019, when he met Prime Minister Narendra Modi for an informal summit in Mamallapuram near Chennai.

Xi had earlier travelled to India in September 2014 during the first terms of both leaders. He also visited Goa in 2016 to attend the BRICS Summit.

India-China ties show signs of improvement

Relations between India and China have improved in recent years. The reference report notes that the change has come particularly after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to China last year.

India has also eased some restrictions on Chinese investment that were introduced after the 2020 border clashes, including in sectors such as electronics, capital goods and solar cells.

China’s foreign ministry has described India and China as “partners, not competitors”, saying the two countries represent opportunities rather than threats to each other’s development.

Xi and Prime Minister Modi also briefly met earlier this month at a regional forum in Kyrgyzstan.

The Chinese president’s presence at the BRICS Summit in New Delhi is therefore set to bring the two leaders together again as India and China work to improve their bilateral relationship.