Days ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Punjab, the Aam Aadmi Party has upped the ante against the BJP-led Centre, accusing it of deliberating ignoring Punjab and “aiding a gangster, lodged in Sabarmati Jail, Gujarat, to spread his drug business in the state”.The state’s ruling party has also accused the Centre of failing to act when Punjab is being used as a “dumping ground” for drugs and arms. “The Centre is not even allowing our flagship health insurance scheme to be implemented in the PGI, Chandigarh. This premier healthcare institute was set up for Punjab several decades ago. If this is not discrimination against Punjab, what else is,” questioned Punjab Health Minister Dr Balbir Singh.Modi is scheduled to visit the state and its capital, Chandigarh, on July 17. He will inaugurate healthcare projects in Chandigarh and a renovated railway station in Jalandhar and Anandpur Sahib, besides flagging off a train from Chheharta (Amritsar) to Varanasi.“Punjab and its youth are being deliberately targeted. Around 80 per cent of the drugs being smuggled from across the International Border are being dumped in the state. That is why new drugs like ICE and cocaine are increasingly coming into Punjab,” said the Health Minister on the sidelines of a press conference called to speak about the initiatives taken by the AAP government to tackle the drug menace in Punjab during the past 500 days.“The International Border and the 50 km area inside the border is under the control of the Centre. Yet, drugs and arms are being smuggled through drones and are being sold in the state. The Centre has the wherewithal to intercept these drones carrying illicit payloads. Nothing is being done now, though it did use technology to stop the drones during Operation Sindoor,” he said.Asked about the recent disclosures made by the FBI regarding Punjab gangsters and their cartels, Dr Balbir Singh, without naming the gangster, said a person sitting in Sabarmati Jail of a state, which had a double engine government, was now accused by an international agency like the FBI of running a global drug racket. He was referring to Lawrence Bishnoi.“The same person is also running his illicit business in Punjab. We want the Centre to send this person to a jail in Punjab. We will not only treat him but also reform him. Not only drugs, illicit arms too are being home-delivered, as revealed in Patiala yesterday. The consignment had come from Madhya Pradesh, another state having a double engine government,” he said.Earlier, the Health Minister said without any help from the Centre, the AAP government had used a multi-pronged approach to tackle the illicit drug menace. “The Police, Health, Education, Sports and Social Security departments are all working in tandem to cut the supply chain of drugs, treat addicts and rehabilitate them, besides educating the people from a young age not to fall prey to drugs and encouraging them to channel their energy in sports. Ever since we launched the Yudh Nasheyan Virudh campaign, we have received massive support from the people. As many as 45,000 tips against drug smugglers/traders were received, based on which we have arrested 22,800 culprits, though the number of peddlers arrested during the campaign is over 73,000” he said, adding that 621 people were caught with over 2 kg of drugs each.He said the highest drug seizures had been made during the AAP government’s tenure at 6,608 kg, compared to 2,412 kg seized during the Congress rule and 2,817 kg seized during the 10-year Akali Dal-BJP rule. “At 89 per cent, our conviction rate is also the highest in NDPS cases,” he said.