AAP govt drive political stunt, say Opposition parties

With the state’s anti-drug campaign resulting in an unprecedented average of 64 arrests daily this year, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is claiming a major victory against the menace. However, opposition parties have termed it a “political stunt”, accusing the government of targeting minor addicts while shielding the deeper rot.

Leader of the Opposition in the state Assembly, Partap Singh Bajwa, didn’t mince words while calling the campaign “a blatant fraud”. The Congress leader alleged a “nexus of corruption” within the police force, highlighting the “involvement” of personnel ranging from constables to senior officers in smuggling operations.

“Cops act as AAP’s private militia, stealing farmers’ tractor-trailers, beating up civilians and enabling drug networks. This so-called crackdown is cosmetic and fails to dismantle the core structure of smuggling,” Bajwa asserted.

AAP spokesperson and MP Malwinder Kang hit back by accusing the Opposition of facilitating the drug menace during their tenures. “The opposition is rattled because their era of patronising smugglers has ended. We are dismantling this nexus step by step, and results will be evident in the coming months. Unlike past governments, we’re holding the police accountable for their involvement, whereas the Akalis and the Congress posted drug-tainted cops like Raj Jit Singh on high positions,” said Kang.

SAD leader Daljit Singh Cheema dismissed the numbers as “inflated optics”. He accused the government of focusing on small-time drug consumers while neglecting action against major players. “Had this crackdown been real, hospitals would have been flooded with addicts suffering from withdrawal symptoms. But we see no such impact,” he said.

Punjab