Ludhiana, October 29
Member of Parliament from Ludhiana and former Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) President Amarinder Singh Raja Warring, addressing a press conference in Ludhiana, questioned the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government’s record on drugs, crime, corruption and unfulfilled promises. He said Punjab had given Bhagwant Mann an opportunity to bring change, but people were still waiting for accountability.
Warring raised concerns over the drug menace, referring to the death of Gulzar Singh, who reportedly faced threats and harassment after questioning Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema over drugs. He also referred to the killing of anti-drug activist Parvinder Singh Jhota in Mansa, who was shot dead after confronting a suspected drug supplier. Warring questioned the government’s claims of eradicating drugs and said the continued loss of lives demanded serious accountability.
Warring also referred to the reported arrest of AAP sarpanch Paramjit Singh in a heroin seizure case involving drugs reportedly worth ₹90 crore, and the reported arrest of the nephew of AAP MLA Sarwan Singh Dhun in a case involving heroin and a Pakistani drone. He further highlighted the cross-border drug trafficking challenge, citing the figure in his briefing that 298 of India’s 305 drone-linked drug trafficking cases in 2025 were reported in Punjab.
On law and order, Warring highlighted that Ludhiana ranked second nationally in murder cases among 34 major Indian cities in 2024, recording 56 cases, according to NCRB-based reporting. He also raised concerns over reports of more than 500 gangs using ghost gunmen to carry out daylight shootings. He questioned the government’s response to organised crime and said the safety of citizens and businesses must be a priority.
Warring further raised concerns over attacks on police personnel, referring to the killings of ASI Harjit Singh, Joga Singh and Iqbal Singh, as mentioned in his briefing. He also highlighted concerns involving gang networks, the killing of kabaddi players, extortion of businessmen and ransom demands targeting NRIs.
On corruption, Warring referred to allegations surrounding a ₹5 crore bribery case connected with the alleged suppression of a rape case, an alleged transfer racket operating from the Chief Minister’s Office and controversies involving ministers and MLAs. He also cited the Panjiri scam, Paddy Procurement Scam and Altus Builders scam, demanding transparent investigations and accountability wherever wrongdoing is established.
Warring said Punjab’s people were still waiting for the promises made by the AAP government to be fulfilled. He highlighted farmers’ demand for MSP on 22 crops and the pending DA arrears of government employees. He also questioned the government’s handling of the Bargari justice issue, alleging that the AAP government had delivered a “Guru Dokhi CM” and censorship of Sri Akal Takht questioning an ill-thought-out bill. He further pointed out that AAP MLAs could not even explain the language of the bill, as it had not been properly drafted.
Warring alleged that outside political advisers were auditing Punjab’s affairs daily to identify public relations opportunities, while effective governance was being neglected. He said the government must answer questions about its performance and demonstrate concrete results on issues affecting the people.
Warring stated that the Congress party would demand accountability for every unfulfilled promise, every scam and every death raised in the debate over Punjab’s governance. He said Rahul Gandhi would expose the AAP government’s record on drugs, crime and corruption, while the Congress party would continue to raise these issues before the people.
Reiterating the demand “Punjab Maange Hisaab,” Warring said that on November 4, the Congress party would bring the AAP government’s record before the people of Punjab and demand answers on the issues affecting the state.
The press conference was attended by District President Sanjay Talwar, former MLAs Surinder Dabar and Rakesh Pandey, Simarjit Bains, Balwinder Bains, Pawan Dewan, Jagtar Singh Hissowal, Raman Subramaniam, Nirmal Kaira, District President Manraj Thakral, Nikki Ryat, Malkit Singh Dakha, KK Bawa and Manjit Hambda