Punjab political parties trade accusations over drug crisis

Political tensions in Punjab have escalated as opposing parties trade accusations regarding the state's drug and alcohol crisis.

Anurag Dhanda of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has blamed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for the spread of narcotics in Punjab, specifically linking the issue to the Akali Dal-BJP coalition that held power between 2007 and 2017. Dhanda also criticized Union Home Minister Amit Shah's recent remarks and suggested that drug-related issues persist in other BJP-ruled states like Gujarat and Haryana.

Conversely, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal has accused the AAP government of betraying the public. Badal alleged that Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has failed to fulfill promises to end drug use and claimed his administration has worsened the state's alcohol and drug problems. She further criticized the Chief Minister regarding his previous tenure as an MP in Sangrur, alleging links to the liquor trade.