Batons for Anti-Drug Voices, Shields for Gangsters: Dhaliwal Slams AAP Government
Former IAS officer and MLA Balwinder Singh Dhaliwal stated that the harsh treatment meted out to common people and youth speaking out against drugs in Punjab, alongside the rising boldness of gangsters and criminals, raises serious questions about the government's functioning. Instead of intimidating or suppressing those who raise their voice to save their villages and society from drugs, the government should ensure their safety and take immediate action on their complaints.
City Air News
Sep 21, 2026 09:34
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Chandigarh, September 21, 2026: Former IAS officer and MLA Balwinder Singh Dhaliwal stated that the harsh treatment meted out to common people and youth speaking out against drugs in Punjab, alongside the rising boldness of gangsters and criminals, raises serious questions about the government's functioning. Instead of intimidating or suppressing those who raise their voice to save their villages and society from drugs, the government should ensure their safety and take immediate action on their complaints.
The perception that those preventing drug abuse face police batons while gangsters receive protection presents a highly grave situation for democracy and the rule of law. The government must clarify why citizens raising their voice against drugs in Punjab do not feel safe, and when action against criminals will become fully effective.
Dhaliwal emphasized that the government cannot claim a drug-free Punjab merely through slogans and campaigns. What is needed is ground-level, effective action against drug smugglers, criminals, and gangsters, alongside justice and protection for citizens speaking out against drugs. Youth and social activists standing against drugs in villages and cities should receive government support rather than facing pressure or fear. He added that the fight against drugs can only succeed when society, police, and the administration stand against it with complete seriousness.
He demanded an impartial and time-bound investigation into drug-related cases, guaranteed protection for complainants and citizens raising their voice against drugs, and strict, effective action against drug smuggling and organized crime without any political pressure. He concluded that the people of Punjab do not need slogans, but concrete, visible action on the ground against drugs and crime.
