The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) on Friday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to direct the Rajasthan government to ban sale of opium as Punjab was suffering due to the neighbouring State government’s policy to earn profit from sale of this commodity.
In a statement here, senior SAD leaders including Maheshinder Singh Grewal and Daljit Singh Cheema said it was unfortunate that the Rajasthan government had granted licence to more than 17,000 opium vendors.
They said opium, which was available in the open in Rajasthan, was also being smuggled into Punjab.
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“This is causing social unrest in Punjab and the issue needs to be addressed immediately,” they said, adding any law that encouraged addiction and even led to smuggling of opium to a neighbouring State should be rescinded. They also demanded that opium cultivation be stopped in Rajasthan.