Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Punjab Media In-charge Baltej Pannu on Friday said that the Mann Government has launched an uncompromising and continuous crackdown against gangsters under the campaign ‘Gangsters te Vaar’, and clear results are visible on the ground. Addressing a press conference, Pannu informed that so far 3,520 individuals have been arrested, 1,599 placed under preventive detention, and 104 illegal firearms recovered during raids conducted across the state.
He said the action against gangsters is ongoing and will continue without pause. Anyone sheltering or supporting gangsters will also face strict legal action. Pannu said that while the Punjab Government is firmly acting against organised crime, Akali Dal Badal leaders are doing the opposite by openly associating with gangster families.
He said the history of Akali Dal Badal is filled with instances where those responsible for disturbing Punjab’s peace were protected and promoted. Referring to events from 1978, 1984, 1989, 1996 and 2015, Pannu said the same pattern keeps repeating, those accused of wrongdoing were rewarded instead of being punished.
Taking strong exception to recent developments, Pannu said it is shocking that Sukhbir Singh Badal, who recently threatened Punjab Police officers, now claims he will act against gangsters. “This is sheer hypocrisy. The leaders who allowed gangster culture to flourish cannot pretend to fight it,” he said.
Pannu recalled key incidents that marked the rise of gangsterism in Punjab, including the public murder of a police officer in Amritsar while he tried to protect his daughter, attacks on police personnel, kidnappings, and the Nabha jail break, which exposed the deep nexus between gangsters and political patronage during previous regimes.
He further alleged that during the Tarn Taran by-election, Akali Dal Badal tried to mislead voters by projecting a false narrative, while in reality the party’s candidate had direct links with a gangster family. Pannu said the truth has now come out through photographs from a recent wedding of a gangster’s family member, which were shared by the attendees themselves on social media.
Pannu presented photographs showing Sukhbir Singh Badal, Virsa Singh Valtoha, Ganieve Kaur Majithia, Ravinder Singh Brahmpura and SGPC President Harjinder Singh Dhami attending the wedding function of a Amritpal Singh Batth's sister in Amritsar. He said these images raise serious questions about Akali Dal Badal’s intentions and priorities.
Questioning the role of SGPC President Harjinder Singh Dhami, Pannu asked whether he attended the function as the head of a religious institution or as a loyalist of the Badal family. “If he went as a Badal supporter, people will understand. But if he went as SGPC President, it is deeply objectionable,” Pannu said, adding that religious institutions must maintain moral distance from individuals linked to crime and extortion.
Pannu said Punjab’s people must remain alert and remember the role played by Akali Dal Badal whenever the state faced turmoil. He demanded that Sukhbir Singh Badal clearly explain whether he now wants to re-enter politics with the support of gangsters, as the people of Punjab have repeatedly rejected him democratically.
He asserted that the Mann Government will not compromise on law and order, and no amount of political pressure or gangster backing will be allowed to destabilize Punjab again.