The political confrontation over Punjab’s drug crisis intensified on Wednesday as Congress leader of the opposition Partap Singh Bajwa and AAP Punjab president Aman Arora accused the BJP-led Centre of failing to disrupt narcotics supply chains. Responding to Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s visit to mark the end of the BJP’s 13-day Nasha Mukt Punjab Yatra, the two opposition leaders also traded blame over which government should answer for the state’s drug problem.
Bajwa said the crisis could not be overcome through political tours, rallies and slogans. He questioned the impact of a 2021 decision to expand the Border Security Force’s jurisdiction in Punjab from 15 km to 50 km from the international border. Pointing to continued reports of cross-border smuggling, including the use of drones, Bajwa asked how many major trafficking networks the BSF had dismantled and how many drones carrying narcotics or weapons it had intercepted.
He also sought details on cross-border handlers, financiers and networks identified and prosecuted, as well as allegations that criminal networks were being operated by gangsters imprisoned in Gujarat, Rajasthan, Haryana, Uttarakhand and Delhi. “The BJP cannot wash its hands of the drug crisis by blaming AAP, and AAP cannot wash its hands by blaming the Centre,” Bajwa said, adding that both Shah and Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann must respond.
Arora, meanwhile, challenged the BJP’s historical responsibility, noting that the party had governed Punjab for several terms as the Shiromani Akali Dal’s alliance partner. He questioned the transfer of investigating officer Niranjan Singh in the case involving former Akali minister Bikram Singh Majithia and asked the BJP to explain how narcotics entered Punjab.
Arora also claimed that the term “chitta,” a local term for heroin, became widely associated with Punjab during the 2007-2017 Akali-BJP rule. “During the Akali-BJP alliance, illicit drugs reached every household. Today, the BJP is taking out a yatra on the drug issue,” he said.
The dispute comes as Punjab prepares for its 2027 Assembly election, with the BJP targeting the AAP government over drug availability and the effectiveness of its anti-narcotics campaign.
Original Source: https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/bjp-cannot-wash-its-hands-off-drug-crisis-aap-cannot-blame-centre-bajwa-aman-arora-trade-charges-12122313#publisher=newsstand
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Publish Date: 2026-10-01 00:23:00
