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Hindustan Times
a day ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Punjab: AAP govt's claim of success in drug war is misleading: Bajwa
Jun 22, 2025 06:42 AM IST Senior Congress leader Partap Singh Bajwa on Saturday questioned whether the Aam Aadmi Party-led Punjab government had actually completed the first phase of its much-publicised 'Yudh Nashian Virudh' campaign and challenged its claims of successfully disrupting the state's drug supply chain. Senior Congress leader Partap Singh Bajwa said that while Punjab claimed progress against heroin, traffickers have already shifted focus to methamphetamine or ICE. (HT File) Bajwa said the claims made by the AAP-govt that they have successfully disrupted the supply chain of drugs, primarily heroin, during the first phase of the three-month campaign that ended in May is 'highly misleading'. 'The drug network in Punjab remained intact, addiction continued unabated, and youth — including women — were still falling prey to drugs, with overdose deaths persisting across the state,' he alleged. Bajwa further said that while the state claimed progress against heroin, traffickers have already shifted focus to methamphetamine or ICE, which was cheaper, more potent and easier to manufacture. Accusing the AAP leadership of chasing publicity, Bajwa said that chief minister Bhagwant Mann and party supremo Arvind Kejriwal had failed to meet their deadline for a drug-free Punjab. 'It appears that they are in a rush to prove that their government has tackled the drug issue, while the ground reality remains alarming. They owe a public apology,' Bajwa added.
The Hindu
a day ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
‘War on Drugs': Punjab Cabinet gives formal approval to panel overseeing campaign against drug abuse
Even as the Punjab Cabinet also gave ex-post facto approval for the constitution of the high-powered cabinet sub-committee to intensify the 'War on Drugs' program, the Congress party came down heavily on the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government, accusing it of seeking publicity for its 'unsuccessful war against drugs.' On Saturday (June 21, 2025), the Punjab cabinet, in its meeting held in Chandigarh, chaired by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, gave ex-post facto approval for the constitution of the high-powered cabinet sub-committee to intensify the 'War on Drugs' program of the State of Punjab. 'This move will further help in day-to-day scrutiny of the ongoing war against drugs, thereby making Punjab free from the menace of drugs and weaning away the youth of the state from this scourge,' said an official statement from the Chief Minister's office. Terming the AAP's war against drugs campaign as unsuccessful, the leader of the Opposition in the Punjab Assembly, Congress's Partap Singh Bajwa, said, 'The AAP claimed that they successfully disrupted the supply chain of drugs, primarily heroin, during the first phase of the three-month campaign that ended in May. This claim is highly misleading. The drug supply chain remains intact, and Punjabi youth, including women, continue to abuse drugs, with overdose-related deaths still occurring. The AAP government has failed in the first phase of its fight against drugs.' He accused the AAP government of seeking publicity for its unsuccessful war against drugs. 'The AAP appears to be in a rush to prove it has tackled the drug issue. However, the reality on the ground is quite the opposite,' he added. Separately, the cabinet gave a nod to recruit 500 vacant posts of Assistant Superintendents, warders and matrons under the direct recruitment quota in the Jails Department. 'This move will act as a catalyst in further streamlining the functioning of the jails besides helping in making them safe and secure,' added the government statement.
The Hindu
7 days ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
Punjab political leaders against ‘One Nation, One Election' proposal
The 'One Nation, One Election' (ONOE) proposal promoted by the BJP-led Central government, which seeks to hold simultaneous elections to the Lok Sabha and State/Union Territory Legislative Assemblies, has sparked significant debate in Punjab amid concerns over weakening of federalism, regional autonomy and democratic principles. On June 14, members of the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) on ONOE met leaders of political parties of the State in Chandigarh. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), the Indian National Congress and the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) firmly expressed their reservations to the proposal and opposed the idea of ONOE. The SAD, a century-old party, highlighted several concerns and pointed out that the proposed Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-Ninth Amendment) Bill, 2024, would weaken the State's autonomy. 'The Bill would cause more harm than improvement. Article 356 was the root cause of the disruption of simultaneous elections in the country. In case Article 356 is not done away with, the election schedule would be disrupted again, so what's the point of this Bill? Also, the insertion of Article 82 A clause 5 empowers the Election Commission of India to defer elections to Legislative Assemblies. This can be misused against opposition parties anytime,' it said. Opposing the idea of ONOE, the Congress's leaders, including State president Amarinder Singh and Partap Singh Bajwa, the Leader of Opposition in the Punjab Assembly, presented the party's case before the committee. 'One Nation, One Election goes against the basic concept of federalism that has been guaranteed by the Constitution of India,' the State president said, pointing out that parliamentary and Assembly elections were held on entirely different issues. 'The idea of imposing simultaneous elections to Parliament and the State Assemblies will mean imposing dictatorship by default. The regional and local issues that gain prominence during the Assembly elections will be ignored and suppressed. The regional and local aspirations will get muzzled down,' Mr. Singh said. Strong objections The ruling AAP in Punjab raised strong objections to ONOE, terming it 'a direct assault on the fundamental structure and spirit of the Constitution of India'. Pointing out that the proposed Bill would effectively render the tenures of State Assemblies subject to the discretion of the Union government, Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema said the BJP's attempt was an alarming overreach incompatible with the federal framework enshrined in the Constitution. Mr. Cheema said the proposals in the Bill would destabilise the balance of power essential to India's democratic fabric. 'The One Nation, One Election Bill proposed by the BJP is a calculated move to eliminate regional parties that represent diverse cultures, languages, and regions, and serve as the backbone of Indian democracy.' BJP leaders, meanwhile, argue that simultaneous elections to the Lok Sabha and State/Union Territory Legislative Assemblies would reduce election-related expenses and boost governance continuity.
The Print
13-06-2025
- Politics
- The Print
‘Endless' power cuts making life miserable for Punjabis: Congress leader Bajwa
'Endless power cuts are making life hell for Punjabis in this sweltering 44°C heat, yet the @AAPPunjab govt continues its empty boasts of 'uninterrupted supply',' Bajwa said on X. Bajwa, the Leader of the Opposition in the Punjab Assembly, claimed that the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) was crumbling under financial stress 'exacerbated' by the AAP government's fiscal mismanagement. Chandigarh, Jun 13 (PTI) Congress leader Partap Singh Bajwa on Friday alleged that 'endless' power cuts amid soaring temperatures have made life 'hell' for the people of Punjab, yet the ruling AAP was making 'empty claims' of uninterrupted electricity supply. He alleged that Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann's 'tall promises have collapsed like a house of cards'. In a statement, Bajwa also accused the AAP government of making 'hollow promises while the people of Punjab continue to suffer from frequent and unannounced power cuts'. Bajwa said that despite repeated assurances by the AAP government about ensuring uninterrupted electricity to domestic consumers, farmers, and industries, the ground reality paints a starkly different picture. 'With paddy transplantation already underway across large parts of the state, farmers are struggling to cope with erratic and unreliable power supply. In both urban and rural areas, residents are facing long hours of load shedding. The government, however, continues to indulge in shallow publicity rather than addressing the real crisis,' Bajwa said. He highlighted that temperatures have soared to 44 degrees Celsius in parts of Punjab, intensifying the public's distress. 'In cities like Mohali, sleepless nights and sweltering days have become routine due to frequent outages. The situation in smaller towns and villages is even more dire,' he said. Bajwa also pointed out the 'deteriorating condition' of the PSPCL. 'PSPCL is unable to carry out essential repair work properly, and there is an acute shortage of staff to manage breakdowns. The system is on the brink, and the government remains indifferent,' Bajwa said. 'The AAP government has failed miserably on every front it once promised to reform. Unfortunately, it is the people of Punjab who are paying the price for its incompetence and apathy,' he added. PTI SUN RHL This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.
New Indian Express
09-06-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Lop Partap Singh slams AAP of sidelining Punjabis, calls Sugarfed recruitment policy deceitful
CHANDIGARH: Senior Congress leader and opposition leader Partap Singh Bajwa on Monday slammed the AAP government in Punjab, accusing it of a 'deliberate and deceitful attempt' to sideline the Punjabi language and deprive local youth of job opportunities in the recruitment for 166 posts in Sugarfed Punjab. Bajwa claimed that the AAP government initially attempted to dilute the requirement of Punjabi language proficiency by allowing candidates who hadn't passed Punjabi in Matric to appear for the examination, on the condition that they clear a basic Punjabi test during their three-year probation. "It was a clear attempt to recruit non-Punjabis by stealth. Only after a massive public outcry and media backlash did the government take a panicked U-turn and declare Punjabi compulsory again. This is not governance, it's deceit,' Bajwa said. He accused the AAP government of trying to sneak in policies that betray Punjab's linguistic and cultural ethos, only to reverse course when caught red-handed. 'This pattern has become a hallmark of the AAP regime, quietly undermining Punjab's interests, then staging a course correction to save face,' Bajwa stated.
