Senior Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Punjab Cabinet Minister Harpal Singh Cheema on Monday said the arrest of a BJP functionary with drugs has exposed the party’s deep links with the narcotics trade, raising serious questions about its role in the drug menace that has plagued Punjab for years.
He asserted that while drug smugglers earlier operated under BJP’s political protection, BJP leaders and office-bearers themselves are now being caught in drug-related cases. The senior AAP leader said the BJP must explain why repeated recoveries of massive quantities of drugs are being made through Gujarat, while recalling that it was during the SAD-BJP regime that chitta spread across Punjab and pushed the state into darkness.
He emphasised that under CM Bhagwant Singh Mann’s Yudh Nashean Virudh campaign, hundreds of major drug smugglers have been jailed, their properties demolished, and that no person involved in the drug trade, whether a BJP leader, office-bearer or supporter, will be spared.
Minister Harpal Singh Cheema stated, "This arrest has completely exposed the BJP's double standards and its deep links with the drug trade. For years, the BJP has been trying to politicise the issue of drugs in Punjab, but now one of its own office-bearers has been caught in a drug case, proving that the party itself is neck-deep in the menace it pretends to fight."
He asserted, "Earlier, drug traffickers operated under their political protection; now BJP leaders themselves are being caught with drugs. This incident has exposed the real face of the BJP before the people of Punjab." The Minister said, "Since March 2022, under the leadership of CM Bhagwant Singh Mann, the Punjab Government has been actively running the uncompromising ‘Yudh Nashean Virudh’ campaign.
Hundreds of major drug smugglers have been arrested and sent behind bars, their properties have been demolished, and strict action has been taken against every individual involved in the drug trade, regardless of political affiliation." Recalling the previous regime, he continued, "Punjab witnessed its worst drug crisis during the SAD-BJP government.
It was during the Akali Dal-BJP government that ‘chitta’ spread across Punjab and the state suffered immense damage. Today, the same parties that pushed Punjab into darkness are trying to mislead the public and escape accountability." The Minister further said, "While the Bhagwant Singh Mann Government is working tirelessly to eliminate drugs from Punjab, the BJP's role in the national drug network cannot be ignored.
A major portion of drugs entering India passes through BJP-ruled Gujarat before reaching different parts of the country." Questioning the BJP, he stated, "The BJP should answer why massive quantities of drugs are repeatedly recovered from Gujarat. Instead of targeting Punjab, the BJP must explain how narcotics are entering the country on such a large scale under its watch."
Highlighting ongoing measures against the drug menace, he said, "The Punjab Government has strengthened border security through anti-drone systems, intensified action against smugglers, and expanded de-addiction and rehabilitation facilities to help young people trapped in addiction return to normal life.
The AAP Government follows a zero-tolerance policy against drugs. No one, irrespective of political position or influence, will be spared if found involved in drug trafficking." The minister added that if any BJP leader, office-bearer or supporter is found involved in the drug trade, Punjab Police will take strict action and send them to jail.
The law is equal for everyone under the Bhagwant Singh Mann Government. Concluding, Minister Harpal Singh Cheema said, "The people of Punjab are fully aware of which parties damaged the state in the past and who is genuinely working to save Punjab's future.
The BJP and Akali Dal have repeatedly betrayed Punjab. The AAP Government is committed to making Punjab drug-free, and this campaign will continue with full force until every drug smuggler is brought to justice.”