Tuesday, July 08, 2025

Punjab

Bittu told Punjabis to Protect Themselves Amid Rising Gangster Threat, Slams AAP Govt for Law and Order Collapse

PUNJAB NEWS EXPRESS | July 07, 2025 09:57 PM

NEW DELHI: Union Minister of State for Railways and Food Processing, Ravneet Singh Bittu, on Sunday launched a fierce attack on the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Punjab, accusing it of complete failure in maintaining law and order and allowing gangsterism to flourish unchecked. He appealed to the people of Punjab to defend themselves from rising criminal threats, claiming they could no longer rely on the Bhagwant Mann-led state government for protection.

Bittu expressed outrage over the recent daylight murder of businessman Sanjay Verma in Abohar, calling it another example of the deteriorating law and order situation in Punjab. “It appears as though gangsters are running a parallel government. They openly make extortion calls, threaten people, and kill them without fear, ” Bittu said in a statement issued in New Delhi.

He highlighted the recent killing of Dr. Aniljeet Kamboj in Moga and the murder of a youth inside a gurdwara in Tarn Taran as alarming signs of the state’s descent into lawlessness. “Gang wars are erupting in almost every district. Punjab is no longer safe—whether you are a businessman, doctor, or ordinary trader, ” he said.

Bittu alleged that the AAP government had completely abdicated its responsibility, claiming Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann was more interested in public celebrations with Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal than addressing public safety. “At a time when Punjab is burning with crime, Mann and Kejriwal were busy listing their so-called achievements in Ludhiana, without mentioning a word about these brutal killings, ” he said.

He claimed that extortion rackets had become so widespread that even small traders like barbers and tailors were being targeted. “When someone pays one gang, another gang shows up to make fresh demands, ” Bittu said, accusing the Punjab Police of routinely attributing all crimes to a few known gangsters like Landa Harike and the Bishnoi gang to avoid deeper investigations.

The Union Minister went on to allege that dozens of gangsters were openly operating from villages, and that the situation was “fast becoming worse than Mexico or Colombia.” He hinted at a possible nexus between AAP leaders and gangster networks, claiming their proximity “cannot be ruled out.”

“Forget about expecting protection from the government, ” Bittu said. “People must now take steps to protect themselves. We may have to return to the days of ‘Thikri Pehras’ when villagers took turns guarding themselves during terrorism. The time has come for people to unite and defend Punjab.”

He also alleged that AAP leaders were involved in drug trafficking and illegal land encroachments, further weakening the state’s institutions and public trust.

Bittu’s statement comes amid growing public anxiety over lawlessness in Punjab, with a series of high-profile murders and extortion cases making headlines in recent weeks.

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