Says, anti-drug campaign of AAP is wastage of public funds
TARN TARAN: Shiromani Akali Dal Vice President and Khadoor Sahib Constituency In-charge, former MLA Ravinder Singh Brahmpura, has strongly criticized the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government’s anti-drug campaign, labelling it as little more than a misuse of public funds for self-promotion. He further asserted that the issue of cross-border arms smuggling constitutes a major national threat and called for an immediate handover of its investigation to the National Investigation Agency (NIA).
Addressing media today in Chohla Sahib within his constituency, Brahmpura exposed the alleged involvement of close associates and relatives of local AAP MLA Manjinder Singh Lalpura in various criminal activities. He stated, “The AAP government makes loud claims about the fight against drugs, but these claims exist only in their advertisements and promotional campaigns. Vast sums which ought to be dedicated to public welfare are being squandered on self-aggrandizing propaganda, while the scourge of drugs continues to destroy our youth at an alarming rate.”
Referring to the Punjab Police’s recent seizure of approximately 85 kg of heroin, valued at Rs 425 crore, from the border area of Jhabal in Khadoor Sahib—a record-breaking haul 2025—he stressed, “This incident starkly exposes the extensive scale of cross-border drug smuggling. The fact that such vast quantities continue to enter Punjab despite stringent security arrangements raises grave doubts about the efficacy of both central security agencies and the state government.”
Brahmpura warned that, alongside drugs, cross-border arms smuggling now poses a grave threat to Punjab and to India as a whole. “Given the implications for national security, only a national investigative authority like the NIA can fully reveal and address the network behind these operations, ” he emphasized.
Directly challenging both the state government and the local AAP MLA, Brahmpura said, “Before elections, these leaders pledged a drug-free and crime-free Punjab. Today, glaring evidence points to the involvement of their own confidants in serious crimes.”
He cited the arrest of Amandeep Singh, described as a close confidant of MLA Manjinder Singh Lalpura, by Amritsar Police with illegal weapons, who has been confirmed involved in cross-border arms smuggling. Alarmingly, Amandeep Singh is also named in the murder case of courageous Police Sub-Inspector Charanjit Singh at Kot Mohammad Khan.
Brahmpura expressed astonishment that, despite being listed in such a serious case, Amandeep Singh was able to hold press conferences from MLA Lalpura’s residence and stayed there comfortably. “This clearly indicates MLA Lalpura’s direct patronage of criminals and undue interference within police operations, ” he stated.
Further, Brahmpura highlighted the case involving MLA Lalpura’s brother-in-law in illegal sand mining. He alleged that, following police action and arrest, the MLA used his influence to engineer a transfer of the SSP and suspension of honest officials. He revealed that then Punjab Governor Banwarilal Purohit had directed a report from Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on the matter, but till date, the government has failed to make this report public—an apparent act of concealment.
“In such circumstances, with close associates of ruling party MLAs implicated in heinous crimes like arms smuggling, murder, and illegal mining, and with MLAs intervening to shield them, all claims of the AAP government about eradicating crime and drugs in Punjab are exposed as outright falsehoods, ” Brahmpura asserted.
He vehemently demanded that the investigation into this major cross-border arms smuggling case—a matter of national security—be transferred to the NIA without delay. He called for strict legal action against all those sheltering and patronizing Amandeep Singh in connection with both the SI Charanjit Singh murder and the arms smuggling case, including MLA Manjinder Singh Lalpura himself. Brahmpura appealed to the people of Punjab to see the reality behind the AAP government’s claims and remain alert.
Present on this occasion were former Sarpanch Amerik Singh Chohla Sahib, Dr. Jatinder Singh, Manjinder Singh Lati, Gurdev Singh Shabdi, Avtar Singh Raymond, Harjinder Singh Badshah, Subedar Harbans Singh, Surjit Singh Fauji, Gurdayal Singh Fauji, and Harbans Singh Fauji.