Punjab is witnessing a dangerous descent into lawlessness and the implications are no longer confined to public safety – they now threaten the very soul of the state. The law and order situation in Punjab is no longer a simmering concern – it has erupted into a full-blown crisis. The recent spate of violent crimes has jolted the conscience of the state, exposing deep fissures in the security apparatus and raising urgent questions about governance, accountability and public safety.
On November 16, Naveen Arora, the son of senior RSS leader Baldev Raj Arora, was brazenly gunned down by two unidentified assailants on a motorcycle in Ferozepur. Just two days later, on November 18, gangsters struck again – this time in Amritsar – fatally shooting a 45-year-old transport company manager linked to a Gurdaspur BJP leader at the Inter-State Bus Terminal. These are not isolated incidents; they are the latest in a chilling pattern of lawlessness that has gripped Punjab in recent years.
From daylight murders and extortion rackets to kidnappings and gang wars, the state has witnessed a disturbing escalation in organized crime. The streets are no longer safe and the fear is no longer abstract – it is palpable and it is everywhere. Yet, even as the public reels under this climate of dread, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, who also holds the crucial Home Affairs portfolio, continues to assert that law and order has improved under his watch. His claims, however, are increasingly at odds with the ground reality.
The Opposition has seized the moment with ferocity. The Congress, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have launched a scathing attack on the AAP-led Punjab government, accusing it of presiding over a “jungle raaj.” The BJP has gone a step further, demanding the imposition of President’s Rule in the state – a move that underscores the gravity of the situation. What’s unfolding in Punjab is not just a political flashpoint – it is a humanitarian emergency. The people deserve more than rhetoric. They deserve safety, justice and a government that can restore order with resolve, not denial.
In a scathing indictment of the deteriorating situation, Punjab BJP President Sunil Jakhar has warned that targeted killings are being orchestrated with a sinister motive: to fracture the state’s communal harmony.
“Gangsters are relentlessly targeting civilians,” Jakhar said, while adding, “And now, in a chilling escalation, the son of an RSS leader has been shot dead in broad daylight – clearly aimed at tearing apart Punjab’s communal fabric.” He described the incident not merely as a crime, but as a direct assault on Punjabiat – the shared cultural ethos that binds the people of Punjab.
Echoing the alarm, BJP National Spokesperson Jaiveer Shergill took to X to denounce the AAP-led Punjab government as “incapable, incompetent, and insensitive.” Shergill has demanded the imposition of President’s Rule in Punjab.
In a searing indictment of the AAP government’s handling of law and order, Punjab Congress President Amarinder Singh Raja Warring declared, “While the AAP government is counting its days, we are counting our dead.” His remarks come amid a disturbing surge in daily killings across the state, allegedly carried out by emboldened criminals and gangsters operating with impunity. “Today, nobody in Punjab feels safe,” Warring asserted, highlighting how effortlessly and brazenly criminals are executing attacks without the slightest fear of legal consequence. “Sadly, killings have been normalized under the AAP regime,” he added, painting a grim picture of a state where violence has become routine and justice elusive.
The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) has also been accusing the AAP government of presiding over a dangerous collapse of law and order in Punjab. Party president Sukhbir Singh Badal and Bathinda MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal have repeatedly sounded the alarm, warning that the state is slipping into the grip of unchecked violence and criminality. According to SAD, the AAP regime has not only failed to curb the rampant drug trade but has also allowed gangster syndicates to entrench themselves deeper into Punjab’s social fabric. “The government’s inaction is not just incompetence – it’s complicity by neglect,” the leaders have suggested, pointing to a surge in extortion, targeted killings and narcotics trafficking.
What was once a battle against crime has now become a battle for Punjab’s soul. The question now is not whether Punjab is in crisis. The question is: how much longer can this crisis be ignored?
Umesh Dewan is the Editor of the website www.thenewsgateway.com. Views expressed are personal.
