Srinagar, Jan. 4 -- BJP J&K spokesman Altaf Thakur on Saturday intensified his attack on the growing menace of drug abuse and narco-terrorism in Kashmir, terming it a systematic assault on the Valley's future, aided not just by traffickers but also by dangerous political silence and patronage.

"When bullets failed to break Kashmir, addiction was introduced as a weapon. Today, drugs are succeeding where guns failed - silently destroying our youth, our families and our social fabric," Thakur said. Referring to alarming data, he said nearly 14 lakh youths in Kashmir are estimated to be drug addicts, with addiction having tripled in the last three years.

"This is not a coincidence or a social accident. This is narco-terrorism - drugs pushed...