Chandigarh, Jan 17: The Aam Aadmi Party on Friday used Union Minister Ravneet Singh Bittu’s own words to attack the proposed alliance between the BJP and the Shiromani Akali Dal, asserting that such a union would revive the drug trade in Punjab.
Baltej Pannu, AAP’s state media in-charge, told reporters that Bittu’s warning about the return of “chitta” and gangsters under a Badal-led alliance is a direct indictment of the SAD-BJP’s ten-year rule. Pannu noted that the Union Minister is now admitting to the same crisis that the public has blamed on the previous regime for years.
“The truth is that Congress, BJP and Akalis were running a partnership government, shielding each other,” Pannu said while reflecting on the lack of action taken against the drug mafia by previous administrations.
According to Pannu, the push for an alliance within the BJP is being driven by former Congressmen who have now taken the reins of the saffron party in Punjab. He noted that these leaders are fully aware of the historical impact of the Badal family’s influence but choose to ignore it for electoral convenience.
“Does this mean they do not know who spread drugs and nurtured gangsterism in Punjab, or do they simply choose to ignore it for political convenience?” Pannu asked.
The AAP leader listed various violent crimes and drug scandals that peaked between 2007 and 2017, including the abduction of a minor in Faridkot and the emergence of “chitta” as a household name. He noted that even the “Gutka Sahib” oaths taken by Captain Amarinder Singh proved to be ineffective, as no decisive action was taken against the drug cartels during the subsequent Congress term.
Pannu stated that the AAP government has fundamentally changed the approach to law enforcement since taking office in 2022. He mentioned that the second phase of their anti-drug initiative is currently underway and that criminals are being dealt with firmly.
“The government has launched Yudh Nashian Virudh, now in its second phase, and Punjab Police is taking strict action against gangsters who take law into their own hands,” Pannu said.
He concluded by stating that the residents of Punjab are observant of these political maneuvers and will resist any attempt to bring back the leadership responsible for the state’s past decline.
