CHANDIGARH, February 24, 2026 — Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema affirmed on Tuesday that the Bhagwant Mann government’s sustained war against drugs is delivering concrete results, evidenced by traffickers shifting their base to Haryana. Speaking to reporters, the Minister declared that the coordination between the government and the public has tightened the noose around narcotics smugglers, making it impossible for them to operate within Punjab’s borders.
The Minister noted that the current situation in Haryana mirrors the “dark phase” Punjab endured under the previous SAD-BJP regime. He stated that the proliferation of drugs in BJP-governed states is a matter of grave concern, citing recent large-scale seizures in Gujarat as evidence of systemic issues. Minister Cheema maintained that the Punjab government is judiciously working to protect its youth, unlike the Haryana government which he accused of penalizing officers for doing their duty.
“As the noose tightens against drugs in Punjab, traffickers have made Haryana their new base,” Minister Cheema stated. He added that the success of Punjab’s efforts is reflected in the desperation of these criminal elements to find safer havens outside the state.
Addressing the targeting of Haryana police officer Sunil Sandhu, Minister Cheema noted that it is a worrying sign when an officer is troubled by his own government after conducting successful anti-drug operations. He asserted that such actions suggest a level of patronage that allows drug networks to thrive. He further questioned if the BJP is attempting to reintroduce the drug trade to Punjab through political maneuvering and repeated leadership visits from Haryana.
Minister Cheema declared that the AAP administration would continue its relentless campaign, stressing that the era of government-protected drug trade is over in Punjab. He noted that the state’s proactive measures, including extensive district-level coordination, have set a benchmark for narcotics control that other states have yet to match.
