"Open Sale Of Drugs In Punjab Has Stopped": Bhagwant Mann To NDTV

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann defended his government's anti-drug campaign and said it has an 87 per cent conviction rate under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act. He made these remarks during an interview at the NDTV Nava Punjab Summit in Chandigarh. "Our conviction rate under the NDPS Act in Punjab stands at 87 per cent, which is the highest in the entire country. This is a vast, deeply entrenched network. What these syndicates do is target addicts and turn them into small-time sellers. They might give you two grams or seven grams in total, and say, 'Sell two grams each to two new customers, and we will give you your personal share for free.' This creates a chain reaction. We have been highly successful in breaking this chain," the Punjab Chief Minister told NDTV's CEO and Editor-in-Chief Rahul Kanwal.