Lucknow: Sending out a strong message against drug abuse and trafficking, UP Director General of Police (DGP) Rajeev Krishna on Saturday flagged off an all-India motorcycle rally themed ‘Fight against drugs’ from the police headquarters in Lucknow.The rally forms part of the nationwide celebrations leading up to National Unity Day on Oct 31, commemorating the birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.The campaign seeks to spread awareness about the dangers of narcotics, particularly among youth, while reinforcing the Centre’s call for a drug-free India. Five specially selected UP police riders will travel thousands of kilometres across northern and western India before joining the National Unity Day celebrations at the Statue of Unity in Gujarat.Flagging off the rally, DGP Rajeev Krishna said a strong and united India envisioned by Sardar Patel could only be built with a healthy and drug-free younger generation. He described the anti-drug campaign as an integral part of the UP govt’s zero-tolerance policy towards crime and asserted that the state police was fully committed to the national mission against narcotics.The riders will interact with students in schools, colleges and universities along the route to highlight the harmful effects of substance abuse and promote the national de-addiction helpline, MANAS (14446). Police officials said the outreach programme aims to encourage young people to seek help and actively participate in the fight against drugs.The Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF), established in 2022, has further strengthened the state’s anti-drug efforts. Since its formation, the unit has registered 504 cases, arrested 1,364 traffickers, recovered over 45,000 kg of narcotics and seized drugs worth approximately Rs 554 crore.The rally will travel from Lucknow through Agra, Delhi, Rajasthan and Gujarat before culminating at Ekta Nagar, where the UP Police contingent will participate in the National Unity Day parade and ride-past at the Statue of Unity on Oct 31.
