Are Congress and BJP Protecting Drug Traffickers in Punjab?

Chandigarh, July 12 (NationPress) The Finance Minister of Punjab, Harpal Singh Cheema, criticized both the Congress and the BJP on Saturday, suggesting that the two parties are colluding to shield drug traffickers and gangsters. He claimed that they are also attempting to undermine the AAP's efforts in the battle against drugs through false first information reports (FIRs) and political intimidation.

According to the AAP minister, leaders from Congress and BJP are now engaged in a conspiracy to silence the AAP by lodging these false FIRs.

“When we declared a two-day Assembly session, the Congress Leader of the Opposition, Partap Bajwa, hurried to the Chandigarh Police and filed an online complaint. In less than 24 hours, an FIR was filed against me and AAP Punjab President Aman Arora,” he stated during a media briefing.

Cheema accused the Chandigarh Police, which is under the control of the BJP-led Central Government and a BJP-nominated Governor, of quickly filing politically motivated FIRs, while thousands of legitimate complaints remain unresolved. He referred to official data from a Chandigarh Police affidavit submitted to the court that revealed that as of May 15, 2024, a total of 7,067 complaints were pending, many related to cybercrime, fraud, and theft.

“This demonstrates how Congress and BJP are conspiring to target AAP leaders while ignoring actual criminals. However, we are not intimidated. We are prepared to face any legal repercussions, but we will continue to speak the truth,” Cheema asserted.

He reminisced about how AAP first contested the Punjab elections in 2017, with key issues such as drug addiction, unemployment, and agricultural distress. He emphasized that the drug crisis was the most urgent issue, a sentiment echoed by the former Congress president, Rahul Gandhi, who claimed that 70 percent of Punjab's youth were ensnared in drugs due to the Akali-BJP nexus.

“In 2017, Congress vowed to eradicate drugs within four weeks, with their Chief Minister swearing on a holy Gutka Sahib at a rally in Talwandi Sabo. Yet five years have elapsed, and Congress has taken no action,” Cheema remarked.

He highlighted that during the 2022 elections, the citizens of Punjab placed their faith in AAP, granting it a historic mandate that led to Bhagwant Mann becoming the Chief Minister.

Cheema asserted that the AAP administration has been waging a continuous battle against drugs for the past three and a half years, which has recently escalated into an all-out campaign named 'Yudh Nasheyan Virudh'.

“We are leaving no stone unturned. Illegal properties are being demolished, and offenders are being arrested and imprisoned. A cabinet subcommittee was established, with myself as the chair, and we have visited police stations across Punjab,” he concluded.