Capt talks drug-free Punjab, his ministers talk ‘opium’

As Punjab battles a drug menace, certain ministers in Amarinder Singh’s government senselessly spoke about drugs as 'davaai' (medicine) during a recent cabinet meeting. The video, which went viral, may not augur well for the government's resolve to stem the rot.

The barmy talk on drugs took place just before the cabinet meeting, chaired by CM Capt Amarinder Singh was to begin. Ministers brazenly talked about the ‘kaali davai’ (black medicine, perhaps referred to opium).

One minister can be heard saying one would have to go to Rajasthan to get the drug. A third cabinet minister joins the discussion, wanting to know about this ‘Kaali davai’ (black medicine).

Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, however, was not amused. He advised his minister not to have any of this. Even as the talk went about in a perky manner, the Opposition has trained guns at the Congress.

Interestingly, the video was released by the Punjab Information and Public Relations Department.

According to protocol, there are a few shots of the cabinet meeting taken before its start. Generally, the cameras are muted. However, in this instance, the camera happened to record the minister's wayward conversation.

The government, unfortunately, has decided to shoot the messenger. Two officials of the public relations department were suspended for the "lapses" after Singh took a serious note of the episode.

Singh's bete noire, Rajya Sabha MP and former Punjab Congress president Pratap Bajwa, has criticized the government, saying it has failed to walk the talk.

Former Punjab minister and senior SAD leader Bikram Singh Majithia has asked why the government has not acted against ministers who talked about ‘kaali davai’.

Former Patiala MP Dr Dharamvir Gandhi, who has been a proponent of the medicinal qualities of opium, had earlier in the Lok Sabha raised the issue of legalizing cultivation of opium in Punjab. He had even planted poppy seeds in a field a few months ago, only to get a FIR registered against him. Former cabinet minister Navjot Singh Sidhu had also reportedly supported Gandhi on his stand.