➖ “Mann Government Completely Fails to Tackle Drug Crisis in Punjab; Situation Worsens Over Four Years”
➖ “Drug Menace Runs Unchecked Under Mann Government; Who Is Responsible for Youth Deaths in Punjab?”
➖ “No Real Action on Drugs, Only Rhetoric – BJP Launches Major Attack on Mann Government”
➖ “15,000–16,000 Deaths in Four Years: Mann Government Accused of Failing on Drugs and Hiding True Data”
➖ “Thousands of deaths due to drugs in Mann rule, only one-tenth surfaced – BJP claim”
Chandigarh/ Bathinda, February 11
The Aam Aadmi Party government in Punjab came to power with the promise of making Punjab drug-free within one month. However, in the last four years, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has already given six deadlines to eliminate drugs, but the reality is that the drug situation in Punjab has become worse than before. Drugs are being sold openly in every village, city, and even inside jails. The ground reality is that youth are dying daily due to drugs, boards saying “Chitta available here” are being put up, and drugs are being home-delivered. This was stated by Punjab Bharatiya Janata Party Working State President Ashwani Sharma, who while addressing a press conference in Bathinda today, targeted the Punjab Government over remarks made by AAP leaders on the Governor’s anti-drug foot march.
➖ 15,000 to 16,000 deaths due to drugs in four years
During Mann’s 46-month rule, data of around 1,600 youth deaths is available with us, but the total number of deaths due to drugs is between 15,000 and 16,000. Many families do not report such deaths due to social stigma, and police also often try to avoid registering FIRs. Therefore, only about one-tenth of the actual cases come to light.
➖AAP Government not serious about drug menace
The seriousness of Bhagwant Mann towards the drug issue can be judged from the fact that during his tenure as Chief Minister, four International Anti-Drug Days (June 26 of 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025) passed, but not even a single major state-level anti-drug program was organized. Neither did the Chief Minister address the public live from his residence, nor was any advertisement released. It appears as if the entire Aam Aadmi Party has gone silent on the issue.
➖ Drug menace has taken a horrifying form
Sharma said the drug problem in Punjab has become so severe that not only young men but also children aged 10–12, girls, and even pregnant women are falling prey to it. Drug addicts are killing their own family members for drugs, and even cases of killing infants have surfaced. Entire families have been destroyed due to drugs, and houses have been locked. In one case, a mother lost six sons to drugs. Why is this “Udta Punjab” not visible to Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann?
➖ Fearless smugglers delivering chitta at home
He said drugs are available so openly that boards saying “Chitta available here” are being put up. Like liquor vend enclosures, now “chitta points” have emerged. Chitta is being home-delivered, and like ration queues, people are now standing in lines to buy chitta.
➖ Drug smugglers not afraid of police
The morale of drug smugglers is so high that they not only attack those who oppose drugs but also fire at their houses and kill their family members. In many cases, smugglers are not afraid of attacking or even killing police personnel.
➖Chief Minister should clarify who is enabling drug trade now
In conclusion, Sharma said that when Bhagwant Mann and Arvind Kejriwal were not in power in Punjab, they often alleged that people in power (earlier Akali Dal, then Congress) enabled drug trade. If the same formula is applied today, then are Aam Aadmi Party leaders, ministers, MLAs, and the Chief Minister now enabling drug trade, due to which smugglers are fearlessly spreading death across Punjab?
