Farmers Movement Archive

Drug addicts should be sent to rehab centres, not jail: Athawale

LUCKNOW Union minister and Republican Party of India (RPI) chief Ramdas Athawale on Tuesday stressed that there was a need to make the film industry “drug-free”, but said people caught consuming drugs should be sent to rehabilitation centres instead of jail and there must be a change in this law.“People who consume liquor are not put behind bars, but are sent to de-addiction centres to get rid of the habit,” he said.Addressing a press conference here, Athawale said: “My ministry has proposed an amendment to the law under which the accused charged with drug consumption will be not sent to jail but to the rehabilitation centre. Those indulging in smuggling, sale and other unlawful activities should be lodged in jail.”Possession of drugs is a criminal offence in India and Section 27 of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act prescribes imprisonment of up to a year or a fine of up to ₹20,000, or both, for consumption of any narcotic drug or psychotropic substance. Bollywood Actor Shah Rukh Khan’s son Aryan Khan was recently arrested under this section.Defending the Narcotics Control Bureau’s action in the drugs-on-cruise case, Athawale said the rejection of the bail petition six times by the court in Aryan Khan case indicates that the arrest made by the agency was appropriate, he said. Refuting the allegation made by Maharashtra minister Nawab, Malik against NCB zonal director Sameer Wankhede, the RPI chief said: “Wankhede is a Dalit belonging to the Mahar community from Maharashtra’s Nagpur region. His father Dayandev Wankhede married a Muslim woman. Sameer’s first marriage was with a Muslim woman. Malik is trying to tarnish Sameer’s image as he had earlier arrested his son-in law in a drug case.”RPI’S UP POLL PLANAthawale said RPI had decided to contest the 2022 assembly election in UP in alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and it would field candidates on 8 to 10 assembly seats.The RPI had launched a statewide yatra from Saharanpur on September 26 to mobilise its cadre for the assembly election. The party will also organise Bahujan Kalyan Maharally at Ramabai Ambedkar ground here on December 18 and senior BJP leaders would participate in it, he said.“The RPI is a true representative of Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar’s ideals. Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati has grabbed our ground in UP but we will try to make inroads into the BSP support base by winning the support of the Dalit community,” he said.Athawale said along with Dalits and backwards community, people of the upper castes were also joining the RPI and to win the support of the upper caste, the RPI was organizing Brahmin conference. “The India Jan Shakti Party, Ekikrit Brahmin Mahasangh and Parmarth Trust led by the Brahmin community leaders merged with the RPI,” he added.The RPI leader stated that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was not against farmers, but opposition parties were instigating farmers against the three farm laws to serve their vested interests. The central government had made it clear that it was ready to talk with the farmers to bring necessary amendments to the farm laws, he said. “Union minister of agriculture Narendra Singh Tomar has held several rounds of talks with representatives of farmers, but the dialogue remains inconclusive. The central government has made it clear that it will not withdraw the farm laws,” said Athawale.

Hindustan Times

27-10-2021

Lucknow