Punjab’s new year began under a dark cloud, marked by nine murders across the state, three of them women. The wave of violence has unsettled public confidence and sparked a fierce political uproar. Leaders across parties have come down hard on the AAP government, calling the incidents proof of a complete law and order collapse. Opposition parties, speaking in unison, argue that the worsening security situation starkly exposes the emptiness of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s claims that law and order in Punjab is improving.
Expressing deep sorrow over the spate of crimes, Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring and Leader of Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa asserted that nine murders in just seven days are not mere statistics but a stark reflection of administrative paralysis. “Punjab is being driven into an atmosphere of fear and uncertainty. Criminals are operating with complete impunity while the government has failed to uphold the rule of law,” they said.
State Congress chief Amarinder Singh Raja Warring echoed this sentiment, declaring that the people of Punjab have lost all faith in the Aam Aadmi Party government and the state police. “It is as if the police in Punjab no longer exist,” he remarked, pointing to the alarming frequency of broad daylight murders where offenders show no fear of the law.
Similarly, Congress MLA from Bholath, Sukhpal Singh Khaira, strongly condemned what he described as the total collapse of law and order in Punjab. He alleged that under the Bhagwant Mann-led AAP government, the state has effectively been handed over to gangsters.
The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) has unleashed equally scathing criticism of the ruling dispensation. Bathinda MP and senior SAD leader Harsimrat Kaur Badal declared that Bhagwant Mann has failed in his dual role as Chief Minister and Home Minister, insisting he has forfeited the moral right to remain in office. She charged that under the AAP regime, “Gangsters are enjoying a free run.”
Party president Sukhbir Badal went further, accusing the government of abandoning its fundamental duty to safeguard citizens. He warned that criminals and gangsters now roam unchecked while ordinary people live in fear. The Akali Dal chief lashed out at the Mann-led administration, branding Punjab’s law and order situation a complete collapse.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) turned up the heat with blistering criticism of the AAP government. BJP’s State president Sunil Jakhar declared that the spate of killings signaled nothing less than a total collapse of governance, demanding that the Chief Minister explain why Punjab has been allowed to descend into insecurity. BJP National General Secretary Tarun Chugh went further, warning that “violence and bullets have reached every Punjabi doorstep” under the Aam Aadmi Party’s rule, which he alleged operates at the command of Arvind Kejriwal. He charged that Bhagwant Mann has been reduced to a mere puppet Chief Minister, powerless to defend the state or its people. For the BJP, the wave of murders is not simply a law-and-order failure but a full-blown constitutional crisis—one that, in their view, warrants central intervention.
The AAP has rejected the criticism, alleging that the opposition is using the tragedy for political advantage. AAP Punjab media in-charge Baltej Pannu asserted, “Punjab is in safe hands.” He emphasized that every case is being thoroughly investigated and that several arrests have already been made. Pannu maintained that law and order is not deteriorating but being strengthened, while the opposition is simply attempting to gain electoral mileage from the situation.
DGP Punjab Gaurav Yadav reiterated that the situation is stable and law and order is secure. Notably, in his 2025 crime analysis, Yadav had pointed out that Punjab’s crime rate is considerably lower than the national average.
However, for the people, the pressing need is safety and justice. For political parties, the turmoil has become a platform to influence public opinion and strengthen their standing. The course ahead will depend on how decisively the Punjab government addresses the crisis.
