Punjab: The anti-drug drive in the state has resulted in an average of 64 arrests per day this year, with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) claiming a major victory against the evil. Opposition parties, however, have dubbed it a “political stunt”, accusing the government of targeting minor drug addicts and hiding the deeper rot. Leader of Opposition in the state assembly Partap Singh Bajwa minced no words, calling the drive “a sheer fraud”. The Congress leader alleged a “nexus of corruption” within the police force, exposing the “involvement” of personnel from constables to senior officers in drug smuggling operations. “The police act as AAP’s private militia, stealing tractor-trailers of farmers, beating up civilians and enabling drug networks. This so-called crackdown is cosmetic and fails to dismantle the basic infrastructure of smuggling,” Bajwa said. AAP spokesperson and MP Malwinder Kang hit back, accusing the opposition of promoting the drug menace during its tenure. “The opposition is upset because their era of patronising smugglers is over. We are phasing out this nexus and the results will be evident in the coming months. Unlike previous governments, we are holding the police accountable for their involvement, while the Akalis and the Congress appointed drug-addicted policemen like Raj Jeet Singh to high posts,” Kang said. Akali Dal leader Daljit Singh Cheema called the figures “inflated”. He accused the government of focusing on petty drug abusers and ignoring action against big players. “If this action was genuine, hospitals would be filled with drug addicts. But we don’t see any such impact,” he said.
Punjab: Opposition parties said that AAP government is doing political stunts
