Punjab Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President Kewal Singh Dhillon on 27 October sharply criticised the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Congress for descending into mutual mudslinging on the final day of the five-day Punjab Assembly session, accusing both parties of squandering taxpayer-funded legislative time while the state grapples with drugs, gangsterism, and a worsening law-and-order crisis.

What Dhillon Said About the Assembly Session

Dhillon described the conduct of both parties as 'highly condemnable', saying they chose political point-scoring over substantive debate on Punjab's most pressing challenges. 'Crores of rupees are spent on each Assembly session, funded by the taxpayers of Punjab. However, instead of raising serious public issues, both parties wasted this valuable time in mutual bickering,' he said in a statement.

He added that the dignity and decorum of the legislative Assembly were disregarded during the session. Notably, this criticism comes at the close of a full five-day sitting — a relatively extended session — with the BJP arguing that not a single meaningful discussion on the drug menace, rising debt, or deteriorating finances took place throughout.

BJP's Charges Against the AAP Government

Dhillon alleged that the AAP government was deliberately evading scrutiny on critical issues because it had no credible answers for the electorate. He said Punjab currently faces the drug menace, deteriorating law and order, organised gangsterism, mounting public debt, and a worsening financial situation — none of which, he argued, received adequate legislative attention.

'The people of Punjab would not allow the government to continue evading accountability,' Dhillon asserted, adding that the BJP would continue to raise these issues 'on every platform, serving as the voice of the people of Punjab.'

Five Firing Incidents in a Single Day

Separately, Dhillon flagged five separate firing incidents that reportedly took place across the state in a single day, citing them as evidence of what he called a 'jungle raj' scenario in which the rule of law had effectively collapsed.

In Moga, indiscriminate firing was reported against young men standing outside a house, resulting in the deaths of two people and injuries to two others, according to Dhillon's statement. In Batala, shots were reportedly fired in broad daylight at Sharma Car Accessories, where the shop owner was allegedly being targeted with extortion demands.

A third incident took place outside a gym at Mehta Chowk in Amritsar district. In Phagwara, shots were fired outside a property dealer's residence, reportedly accompanied by an extortion demand. The fifth and perhaps most conspicuous incident occurred in Amritsar, where an AAP sarpanch and his son were allegedly shot dead while on their way to pay obeisance at a gurdwara.

Broader Political Context

The BJP's broadside comes as the party attempts to consolidate its opposition credentials in a state where it holds no Assembly seats of consequence, following its split from the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) ahead of the 2022 Punjab Assembly elections. The AAP government, elected on a sweeping anti-incumbency wave, has faced growing criticism over law and order from multiple quarters. This is not the first time Dhillon has raised the gang-violence issue publicly — similar allegations were levelled earlier this year following a string of targeted shootings in Mohali and Ludhiana.

The AAP government had not issued an immediate public response to Dhillon's statement at the time of reporting. How the ruling party addresses the five firing incidents — particularly the killing of one of its own sarpanchs — will be closely watched in the coming days.