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Punjab: AAP targets past govts, accuses Oppn of politicising drug deaths
AAP leader and cabinet minister Harpal Singh Cheema alleged that since coming to power, the Bhagwant Mann government had consistently acted against drug trafficking and gangsters by setting up special teams, conducting extensive raids, and arresting criminals
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Under fire from the Opposition, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Thursday blamed successive Shiromani Akali Dal-BJP and Congress governments for drug menace and gangsterism in the state, accusing them of indulging in politics over drug-related deaths.
AAP leader and cabinet minister Harpal Singh Cheema alleged that since coming to power, the Bhagwant Mann government had consistently acted against drug trafficking and gangsters by setting up special teams, conducting extensive raids, and arresting criminals.
He said the Anti-Gangster Task Force worked to bring back criminals who fled abroad to evade the law.
Citing official figures, he said 2,105 proclaimed offenders (POs) have been apprehended, while 81,499 individuals have been arrested as part of the crackdown on gangsters and crime.
“The government launched Yudh Nashian Virudh and strengthened enforcement by incorporating anti-drone systems at the border. From March 31, 2025, onwards, the state has registered 68,545 drug-related cases and arrested nearly 90,000 accused,” he said at a press conference here.
Challenging the BJP to account for the drug situation in states governed by the party, Cheema, citing a newspaper report, claimed that “drug use in Punjab had declined by 5.5%, while it had increased by 28% in Delhi, 18% in Uttar Pradesh, 42% in Haryana and 51% in Madhya Pradesh.”
He also said that the Bihar director general of police had remarked that other states should learn from Punjab’s efforts to eliminate drugs.
“The AAP government remains committed to eliminating drugs from the state and will continue taking strict action against drug traffickers, gangsters and those involved in organised crime,” he added.
Canal water use in state up to 88%: Pannu
The AAP on Thursday alleged that past governments had ignored alarming groundwater depletion and allowed Punjab’s canal irrigation network to deteriorate.
Accusing the previous Congress and SAD-BJP governments, AAP Punjab media in-charge Baltej Pannu said experts had been warning for years that groundwater levels in the state were depleting at an alarming rate, but previous governments paid no attention.
“Canals, minor canals and distributaries were allowed to disappear, pushing farmers towards excessive groundwater extraction and putting the future of Punjab’s coming generations at risk. Those who put up huge hoardings claiming to be the protectors of Punjab’s waters were actually the ones who robbed Punjab of its water resources. Their actions exposed the difference between their public claims and their actual record on protecting the state’s interests,” he alleged in a press conference.
He said that when the Mann government assumed office in 2022, only 21-22% of canal water was being utilised.
“However, as soon as the Mann government assumed office, instructions were issued to restore canal water supply on a priority basis. Today, canal water utilisation has risen to nearly 88%,” he said. The AAP leader said the government traced distributaries buried under soil and laid approximately 14,000 km of pipelines to ensure that canal water reaches farmers’ fields.
