Presiding over a ‘Ravan Dahan’ (torching of Ravan effigy) event in Surat on the occasion of Dussehra on Tuesday, Gujarat Home Minister Harsh Sanghvi said the state was determined to put an end to the menace of drug trade and consumption much like it consigned the demon king from the epic Ramayana to ashes.

Likening the drug menace in the state with Ravan, Saghvi pledged to rid the state of the scourge with the blessings of Lord Ram.

“Along with Ravan Dahan on the occasion of Dussehra today, the Surat Police also destroyed drugs with cooperation and support from the public. Today, under the leadership and guidance of both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Gujarat Police is waging a war on drugs. And, as part of the ongoing drive, the police have seized drugs from Punjab, Rajasthan, West Bengal, and Maharashtra, as well as from the Pakistan border,” the minister said.

“Today, on Dussehra, I seek the blessings of Lord Ram to bring us victory in the ongoing war on drugs,” he added.

Earlier, on Tuesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi invoked the ongoing construction of a grand Ram Temple in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh, calling it a testament to the power of patience that the people of the country had exercised for decades.
Addressing a Dussehra gathering at the Dwarka Sri Ram Leela Society at DDA ground in Sector 10 in the national capital, PM Modi announced that Lord Ram’s arrival to his abode in Ayodhya was ‘imminent’, with only a few months left before he takes his place in the grand temple.

“We are fortunate to witness the construction of the Ram Temple. On the next Ramnavami in Ayodhya, every note echoing in Ramlallla’s temple will bring joy to the world. The construction of the grand temple of Lord Ram at his birthplace testifies to the patience that people have shown for centuries. Bhagwan Ram ki janmabhoomi par ban raha bhavya mandir, sadiyo ki prateeksha ke baad hum Bhartiyo ke dhairya ko mili vijay ka prateek hai (The grand temple coming up at the birthplace of Lord Ram is a reward for the patience that people have shown over centuries),” PM Modi said.

“Only a few months are left for Lord Ram to take his place at the grand temple. The arrival of Bhagwan Ram is imminent,” he added.