Capt Amarinder Singh on Thursday said he was willing to undergo dope test, but would leave it to the conscience of other elected representatives to take a decision on the same.
He was responding to demands from certain sections, including the opposition parties and also from within the Congress, that politicians should also be made to undergo dope test, as had been announced by the chief minister yesterday for government employees and police personnel.
“I have no problem in taking a dope test,” the chief minister said, taking on the challenge thrown at him on this count by certain political and other entities.
“Given the gigantic scale of the drug problem, nobody should be having any problems about taking such a test,” he said, adding that a couple of politicians, including a minister in his Cabinet, had already shown the way by volunteering for drug screening.
Even though no fingers have been raised so far against any politician in the existing regime of complicity of any kind in drug abuse or trading, if any minister or MLA felt the need to offer to take the test, they are welcome to do so, Amarinder said.
As far as he personally was concerned, he would have no hesitation in doing so, he said.
Ready to take a dope test and stand for what I believe is right! However, I leave it to others conscience to make their own judgment. Though I don't think anyone should have any problem in taking such a test.
— Capt.Amarinder Singh (@capt_amarinder) July 5, 2018
Earlier today, AAP MLA Aman Arora surprised all by undergoing an anti-drugs test in Mohali. He also dared the Punjab CM to undergo a dope test on Twitter.
Arora, thus, became the first MLA in Punjab to undergo dope test at CMO in Mohali.
Meanwhile, Panchayat and Rural Development Minister Tript Rajinder Bajwa could not get his dope test done as doctors at the Mohali Civil Hospital advised him to discontinue medicines he was taking for an old ailment for 72 hours.
Bajwa, who had on Wednesday announced to take the test, has been asked to come back on Monday. The minister said the dope test was for a good cause.
“It is not binding on my colleagues, but they should also follow suit,” he said.
Though I'm not agnst this order,but let's b honest @capt_amarinder ji,it has been the Politicians who had patronised Drug Mafia.Instead of these orders,as head of the State,U should have taken the first step.Nevertheless I got my DOPE TEST done today.When r U getting it done Sir? pic.twitter.com/1GOSVvJlUW
— Aman Arora (@AroraAmanSunam) July 5, 2018
This comes barely hours after Congress leader Manish Tewari dared the chief minister to make dope test mandatory for MLAs and MPs from the state.
After the state government order, representatives of various employee organisations had been demanding that legislators and ministers should set an example by themselves first undergoing dope test.
