Rahul targets AAP govt over Punjab's drug crisis, deteriorating law and order

Rahul Gandhi alleges that people campaigning against drugs in Punjab face violence, citing cases in Mansa and Sangrur.

Sachin Pilot says 'chitta' is delivered to doorsteps faster than fast food and accuses the AAP government of failing to tackle drugs and crime.

Pilot also targets the BJP over cross-border drug trafficking and questions the Punjab government's law-and-order record.

Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Sachin Pilot on Thursday targeted the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Punjab over the state's drug problem and law-and-order situation, alleging that authorities had failed to protect people speaking out against drugs and curb the drug trade.

In a post on social media, Rahul cited the cases of Parvinder Singh Jhotta in Mansa, Gulzar Singh and Mohanjit Singh in Sangrur to question the safety of people campaigning against drugs.

Rahul said Jhotta, who runs the 'Nasha Roko, Rozgar Do' (Stop Drugs, Provide Jobs) campaign, was shot in broad daylight, an incident he said was visible during a Facebook Live broadcast. He also alleged that after Jhotta filed a complaint, police registered a first information report (FIR) and subsequently booked him as well.

Rahul referred to the case of Gulzar Singh, a labourer from Sangrur, whose family alleges that he was pressured to apologise after raising concerns about drugs in his village in front of a minister. Singh later died by suicide, Rahul said.

He also cited allegations of custodial torture against Mohanjit Singh, who had spoken out against drugs in Sangrur, saying the matter was before the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

.Punjab drug activist's murder: Accused's shop torched, bandh called. Questioning chief minister Bhagwant Mann, Rahul asked who would protect people fighting against drugs. He said the Congress would not rest until the drug trade damaging Punjab's youth was brought to an end.

Separately, Pilot, the Congress general secretary in-charge of Punjab, criticised both the AAP government and the BJP over drug trafficking and the state's law-and-order situation.

In an interview with PTI Videos, Pilot said the availability of 'chitta', a term used for drugs in Punjab, had become so widespread that it could be delivered to people's homes faster than pizza or Coca-Cola.

"People in Punjab say that if you want to order pizza or a coke, it takes half an hour or 40 minutes but one can call and get 'chitta' home delivered faster," he said.

Pilot alleged that chemical drugs were entering Punjab from across the border and questioned the BJP, which he said had been in power at the Centre for 12 years, over its promise to make the state drug-free. He also questioned the Union home ministry's response to cross-border trafficking, citing the seizure of cocaine worth Rs 21,000 crore at Mundra Port in Gujarat.

He alleged that the distribution of drugs from the border to villages and neighbourhoods could not take place without the involvement of a nexus among drug traffickers, police, the administration and politicians.

Pilot said the AAP had promised to eliminate the drug problem within three months of forming the government but had failed to do so. He also expressed concern over young people becoming addicted to drugs and said the government had failed to control the problem.

On law and order, Pilot claimed that Punjab Police recorded 324 encounters with gangsters between April 2022 and November 2025, while more than 30 grenade attacks and blasts had been reported since September 2024, mostly targeting police stations and posts.

He also cited police data that, according to him, showed more than 400 gang modules operating in the state at the end of 2025, with nearly 40 gangsters based abroad allegedly attempting to foment violence.

Pilot further referred to the killings of two AAP sarpanches from Tarn Taran at wedding functions and AAP leader Lucky Oberoi outside a gurdwara in Jalandhar, arguing that the ruling party had failed to ensure security.

The AAP government has dismissed opposition criticism of its handling of drugs and law and order as politically motivated, according to the PTI report.

.Punjab: Drug menace or political capital?. Join our official telegram channel ( @nationalherald ) and stay updated with the latest headlines