Chandigarh, Aug 11 (IANS) Punjab Cabinet Minister Harpal Singh Cheema on Tuesday expressed disappointment and criticised former Indian cricketer and Rajya Sabha MP Harbhajan Singh for sharing a video from Rajasthan and falsely linking it to Punjab in an attempt to defame the state and its youth.
Cheema said Harbhajan Singh, who was sent to the Rajya Sabha by the AAP to represent Punjab’s interests and work for the state’s youth, was now amplifying Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) propaganda.
“Harbhajan Singh should have used his platform to encourage Punjab’s youngsters to take up sports and raise issues concerning their future, rather than sharing misleading content that tarnishes the image of Punjab,” the minister told the media here.
Referring to the video shared by Harbhajan Singh, Cheema said the Punjab Police traced it and established that it was actually from Sri Ganganagar in Rajasthan, a BJP‑ruled state, and had no connection with Punjab.
He alleged that instead of checking facts, the BJP’s “IT machinery” was picking up videos from other states and presenting them as incidents from Punjab to malign the state and its youth.
Highlighting the state government’s ‘Yudh Nasheyan Virudh’ campaign, Cheema said the BJP was attempting to undermine the progress made by the Bhagwant Mann government in its fight against drugs. He added that the government was working on multiple fronts to eradicate drugs and provide Punjab’s youth with better opportunities.
Cheema also pointed to the BJP’s record in Punjab, stating that the drug menace intensified during the 10 years of the SAD‑BJP government from 2007 to 2017. He said it was during that period that terms such as “chitta” and “smack” became widely associated with Punjab, with countless young lives being destroyed by addiction.
Highlighting the government’s focus on sports infrastructure, Cheema said the state was simultaneously strengthening sports facilities to provide youngsters with positive alternatives. More than 3,000 sports stadiums have already been built in Punjab, while 6,000 more are being developed.
“We are investing in sports because we want Punjab’s youth to stay away from drugs and move towards a healthy and productive future,” he added.
–IANS
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