CHANDIGARH — Senior officials of the Punjab state government issued a comprehensive rebuttal to statements made by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, urging federal authorities to focus on primary maritime and border transit points used by transnational drug syndicates.
Speaking in Chandigarh on Friday, Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann questioned the focus on Punjab when primary drug seizures originate along coastal regions.
“If the route passes through Rajasthan, whose government is in power there? The BJP’s. If it passes through Haryana, whose government is in power there? The BJP’s,” CM Mann noted. “Yet they keep blaming Punjab. Before making allegations against Punjab, they should examine their own responsibilities.”
| Executive / Leader | Designated Role | Primary Position Asserted |
| Bhagwant Singh Mann | Chief Minister of Punjab | Emphasized BSF border jurisdiction and Gujarat port drug influx |
| Manish Sisodia | AAP Punjab Prabhari | Highlighted jail security issues and central agency responsibilities |
| Harpal Singh Cheema | Cabinet Minister | Questioned historic political alliances and state resource protection |
AAP Punjab Prabhari Manish Sisodia pointed out that primary investigative agencies such as the Narcotics Control Bureau and Directorate of Revenue Intelligence report to federal ministries. He argued that preventing multi-ton shipments at ports of entry remains a federal mandate. State Cabinet Minister Harpal Singh Cheema added that the current state administration remains fully committed to dismantling internal supply networks despite cross-border supply challenges.
