New Delhi [India]: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Rajya Sabha MP Sandeep Pathak on Monday submitted a Zero Hour notice in the Rajya Sabha, highlighting concerns over hostile drone activities and the smuggling of drugs and arms along the India-Pakistan border in Punjab.
Rising Threat of Drone Smuggling from Pakistan
In his letter to the Secretary General of Rajya Sabha, Pathak emphasized that Pakistan has been continuously using drones to smuggle drugs and weapons into Indian territory along the Punjab border.
🔴 Key Statistics Highlighting the Issue:
✔ 107 drones seized along the Punjab border in 2023
✔ Nearly 200 drones confiscated by November 2024
✔ Drones intercepted in agricultural fields carrying weapons and narcotics
Calling the large-scale drone infiltration alarming, Pathak stated:
“The fact that so many drones are breaching India’s borders is a major security threat. The central government needs to take strict action against this menace.”
Urgent Measures Proposed by Pathak
🔹 Expose Pakistan’s Role at the International Level:
- Pathak stressed the need to internationally expose Pakistan’s conspiracy to push Indian youth, especially in Punjab, into drug addiction.
🔹 Deploy Advanced Drone Interception Systems:
- He urged the government to install world-class drone interception systems along the border to prevent further smuggling attempts.
Congress MP Manish Tewari Calls for Discussion on Indian Deportees from the US
Meanwhile, Congress MP Manish Tewari on Monday submitted an adjournment motion in the Lok Sabha, seeking discussion on the treatment of Indian citizens deported from the United States and the Government of India’s response on the matter.
📌 Key Facts Cited by Tewari:
✔ 7.25 lakh undocumented Indians reside in the US
✔ 24,000 Indian nationals currently held in detention facilities
Tewari urged the Lok Sabha Secretary-General to suspend Zero Hour and discuss the deportation process and the hardships faced by Indian nationals in the US detention centers.
Government’s Expected Response
Both issues raised—border security against drone smuggling and treatment of Indian deportees from the US—are expected to draw significant discussion in Parliament.