State govt not serious on fight against drugs: Chugh

BJP national general secretary Tarun Chugh launched a vehement criticism of the Bhagwant Mann government in Punjab and Aam Aadmi Party’s national convener Arvind Kejriwal over their claims of fighting drugs in Punjab. He stated that on the one hand, the state government is pretending to fight the drug menace in Punjab, and on the other, it is failing to cooperate with Central agencies in drug-related investigations despite clear orders from the High Court.

Chugh asserted that this proves that AAP is only misleading the people of Punjab. “They do not care about the youth who are losing their lives every day due to drugs,” he said.

Chugh referred to the Punjab and Haryana High Court’s rebuke of the Punjab government for its inaction. The court clearly stated that the Punjab government is not only obstructing the ongoing investigations under court orders but is also acting against the public interest.

He pointed out that the High Court had strongly remarked that the CBI and NCB had sought information from the Punjab government regarding drug-related cases in December 2024, but even after several months, the state government failed to respond, leading to a halt in the investigation against the illegal drug trade.

Chugh added that the High Court has now given the Punjab government a 10-day deadline to provide the required information to Central agencies and allow the investigation to proceed. The court had earlier directed the CBI, NCB and the police forces of Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh to coordinate and act against drug trafficking. However, the Bhagwant Mann government’s lack of action remains the biggest obstacle in the fight against drugs, he said.