Chandigarh, Jan 22 (IANS): The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Punjab on Wednesday condemned the baseless remark by Himachal Pradesh Congress legislator Chandrashekhar Thakur, who accused Punjab of being responsible for the drug problem in Himachal.

However, AAP senior spokesperson Neel Garg denounced the statement as a desperate attempt to deflect attention from the failures of the Himachal Pradesh government and the Congress.

Thakur claimed that drugs like “chitta” are being supplied to Himachal from Punjab, alleging that Punjab has been actively working to destabilise Himachal’s youth.

“The statement by the Congress MLA is completely baseless, devoid of facts, and a deliberate attempt to malign Punjab’s reputation. It is ironic that the Congress, whose leadership has repeatedly failed to control the drug menace in its own state, is now pointing fingers at Punjab,” he said.

Garg exposed the realities of drug trafficking in Himachal, highlighting that the state has several pockets involved in the manufacturing of synthetic drugs.

“Himachal is home to illegal drug manufacturing hubs that have been repeatedly flagged by law enforcement agencies. Instead of addressing these hotspots and strengthening local policing, Congress leaders are busy playing the blame game,” he said.

Without mincing words, he questioned the silence of Punjab Congress leaders like Raja Warring and Partap Singh Bajwa.

He demanded a clear stance from them, asking, “Why are Punjab Congress leaders silent when their own party’s MLA is defaming Punjab? Are they in agreement with Thakur’s baseless accusations, or do they stand with Punjab in condemning such remarks?”

Garg also reminded Thakur of the reality of drug trafficking across India, stating that drugs flow into Punjab from various states, including Rajasthan, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, and Maharashtra, as well as through international borders.

“Punjab’s youth have already suffered due to the drug menace, and it is shameful for the Congress to further malign a state that has been battling this issue on multiple fronts,” Garg added.