Chandigarh, December 16
Lawlessness has gripped Punjab as gangsters roam unchecked, while Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann insists “all is well” against a backdrop of daily shootouts and murders that have plunged the state into near-anarchy. The Opposition—BJP, Congress and Akali Dal—has accused the AAP government of first “murdering democracy” and turning Punjab into a “Police State”, has now miserably failed to check the deteriorating law and order that has left every citizen of Punjab “unsafe”. With governance collapsing and law and order deteriorating, the BJP has gone so far as to demand the imposition of the Presidential Rule in Punjab.
In Mohali, the shock of Kabaddi player and promoter Rana Balachauria (Balraj Rana) being gunned down before players and spectators still lingers, yet barely a day later, Punjab was jolted again—this time by a firing incident in Batala tied to an extortion attempt. Law and order here is not eroding quietly; it is unraveling in broad daylight, with each passing day marked by fresh violence. Punjab does not need hollow assurances or glossy advertisements—it needs decisive, uncompromising action and it needs it now.
Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) President Amarinder Singh Raja Warring denounced the brazen attack on a Kabaddi player as “shocking,” calling it yet another grim reminder of a state where governance has collapsed and lawlessness reigns. “The AAP government has abdicated its responsibility and surrendered authority to criminals and gangsters,” Warring declared.
Citing media reports that a local police officer was present as chief guest at the very event where the player was gunned down, Warring thundered: “If such an incident can unfold in full view of the police, it exposes the sheer audacity of gangsters who operate without fear of law.” Pointing to the fresh shootout in Batala, Warring warned that Punjab’s deteriorating law and order is no longer a matter of isolated incidents but a daily descent into chaos.
BJP Working President Ashwani Sharma wrote on X, “Punjab has become so unsafe today that even a Kabaddi ground is no longer spared from bullets. During a Kabaddi tournament held in Mohali, Kabaddi player and promoter Rana Balachauria (Balraj Rana) was shot dead in front of players and spectators. The incident is even more heartbreaking because Rana Balachauria had been married for only 10–15 days—an entire new life was brutally cut short by gangster rule.”
Sharma pointed out that this is not the first such incident, adding, “Earlier as well, Kabaddi player Sandeep Nangal Ambian and Tejpal Singh of Jagraon were brutally murdered. All these incidents clearly point to one reality—under the Bhagwant Mann government, even Punjab’s sportspersons are on the hit list of gangsters.” He added that under Bhagwant Mann’s failed leadership and a remote-controlled government run from Delhi by Arvind Kejriwal, law and order in Punjab has completely collapsed. “Criminals, gangsters, killers and shooters are roaming freely without fear, while the government remains busy with advertisements and false claims”, he said, adding that from villages to cities, from streets to stadiums—Punjab today is gripped by fear.
Meanwhile, underscoring the gravity of Punjab’s spiraling crisis, BJP national spokesperson Jaiveer Shergill has called for the imposition of President’s Rule in the state. Leader of Opposition in Punjab Vidhan Sabha, Partap Bajwa, in his reaction, has said that gunshots at the Mohali Kabaddi Cup in Sohana are a damning verdict on Mann’s total failure as CM and Home Minister. “Sporting arenas have turned into shooting grounds while criminals roam with impunity. When bullets fly at public events, it’s clear the state has lost control. This isn’t governance—it’s abdication. Punjab is paying the price for Mann’s incompetence and misplaced priorities”, Bajwa posted on X.
