Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema on Tuesday said that the Punjab Government’s sustained crackdown against narcotics is producing concrete results, dismantling drug networks that once operated freely in the state.
Addressing a press conference, Cheema claimed that as Punjab intensifies enforcement and public participation against drugs, traffickers are fleeing and shifting their base to Haryana. He alleged that serious concerns are emerging about the growing drug menace under the Nayab Singh Saini-led government.
Cheema recalled that drugs proliferated in Punjab during the 2007–2017 regime of the Shiromani Akali Dal-BJP alliance. He asserted that after the Aam Aadmi Party government led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann assumed office in 2022, a decisive campaign titled ‘Yudh Nashean Virudh’ was launched to combat narcotics.
According to Cheema, a special sub-committee was constituted and district-level coordination meetings were held to strengthen enforcement. He also highlighted that over 1.5 lakh members of Village Defence Committees recently took an oath to support the anti-drug movement, reflecting large-scale public participation.
Referring to Haryana Police officer Sunil Sandhu, Cheema alleged that the officer faced trouble after conducting anti-drug operations and seizing narcotics. He questioned what the Haryana government was attempting to protect.
Cheema further cited a major heroin seizure in Gujarat and raised questions about drug networks operating in BJP-ruled states. He also questioned the frequent visits of the Haryana Chief Minister to Punjab, alleging attempts to politically target the state even as Haryana grapples with rising narcotics concerns.
Reaffirming Punjab’s stance, Cheema said the state government will continue its crackdown and will not allow drug mafias to regroup. He emphasized that officers acting against drug networks must be supported and protected.
