This Is a Dangerous Trend for Punjab: Randhawa on Dhanaula Incident

Chandigarh, September 24, 2026: Former Punjab Deputy Chief Minister and Gurdaspur MP Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa once again lashed out at the Bhagwant Mann government over the issues of drugs and corruption. Launching a sharp attack on the government, he said that people have become so frustrated with the functioning of the government and corruption that, in their distress, they are being pushed towards taking extreme steps such as ending their own lives. He said that this growing trend among the people of Punjab is extremely dangerous and the Chief Minister and the AAP government need to pay serious attention to it. He added that even in the past, those who raised their voice against drugs were allegedly subjected to such harassment that they too were driven to take such extreme steps.
Randhawa termed the incident of a youth allegedly attempting suicide by consuming a poisonous substance at Dhanaula Police Station in Barnala as extremely serious and demanded a fair and high-level investigation into the entire matter. He said that Dhuri is Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s own Assembly constituency. If a citizen in the Chief Minister’s own constituency is accusing a government employee of demanding a bribe, the government must understand the seriousness of the matter and ensure that the investigation is conducted free from any political or administrative pressure.
He said that before the incident, the youth, Joban Singh, had posted a video on social media in which he levelled serious allegations against a police personnel at Dhanaula Police Station, accusing him of demanding a bribe and harassing him. The youth also accused a patwari posted in the Dhuri area of demanding a bribe in connection with a land dispute involving his family. According to media reports, police officials have stated that the allegations in both cases are being investigated. He said that this trend is extremely dangerous for Punjab.
He said that the fact that allegations of corruption were levelled against personnel associated with both the police and revenue departments in the same video, followed by the youth consuming a poisonous substance inside a police station, makes the developments extremely serious. These allegations cannot simply be dismissed as political statements or a matter confined to social media.
The MP said that Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has repeatedly claimed that his government is taking action against corruption in Punjab. Therefore, it is the government’s responsibility to establish the truth behind these allegations involving personnel from the police and revenue departments. He demanded a time-bound and impartial investigation into both allegations made by the youth and said that if the allegations are found to be true, strict action must be taken against the officials/employees concerned in accordance with the law.
He said that an ordinary citizen has to approach the police and administration for the resolution of grievances. If a person faces bribery and harassment even there, it raises serious concerns about public trust in the administrative system.