AAP Puts Four Pointed Questions to Amit Shah Over Punjab’s Drug and Security Crisis

CHANDIGARH: As Union Home Minister Amit Shah arrived in Punjab for a scheduled visit, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) launched a scathing counter-offensive. AAP Punjab president and state cabinet minister Aman Arora formally presented a four-point questionnaire, challenging the central government’s efficacy in curbing the narcotics trade and addressing the rise of organized crime in the region.

Arora’s statement signals a shift in political discourse, with the ruling party in Punjab attempting to pivot the conversation back to the Union government’s constitutional responsibilities, particularly regarding border security and interstate law enforcement.

Border Security and the Narcotics Flow

Central to Arora’s critique was the integrity of the international border with Pakistan. He reminded the Home Minister that the 543-kilometer stretch of the border is under the direct jurisdiction of the Border Security Force (BSF), which reports to the Union Ministry of Home Affairs.

“If the central agency tasked with guarding our national boundaries is unable to halt the cross-border influx of drugs, then where does the fault truly lie?” Arora asked. He pointed out that while the Punjab government has proactively invested in anti-drone technology to bolster the state’s secondary defense mechanisms, the primary barrier remains the responsibility of the Centre. He challenged Shah to provide transparency regarding the specific strategies being employed to dismantle the international smuggling syndicates operating across the frontier.

The Mundra Port Controversy

Expanding his critique beyond Punjab’s borders, the AAP leader raised the issue of large-scale drug seizures at Mundra Port in Gujarat. Referencing instances where consignments reaching up to 3,000 kilograms of heroin were intercepted, Arora demanded accountability.

“How is it possible that such massive quantities of narcotics enter through a major port under federal watch, and what tangible action has been taken against the kingpins behind this distribution network?” he questioned. For the AAP, this remains a key point of contention, as they argue that the source of the drugs flooding into Punjab and other states often bypasses state-level security entirely.

Historical Accountability and Past Alliances

Arora also invoked the history of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD)-BJP coalition that governed Punjab from 2007 to 2017. He accused the BJP of selective amnesia, questioning why the party remained conspicuously silent during that decade as the state grappled with the onset of the ‘chitta’ (synthetic drug) epidemic and the early growth of organized crime syndicates.

“The BJP cannot simply wash its hands of the legacy it helped build in Punjab,” Arora asserted, implying that the current drug landscape is a product of systemic failures ignored during the previous administration’s tenure.

Law and Order in BJP-Ruled States

Finally, the minister challenged the Union government to look inward before criticizing the law-and-order situation in Punjab. By citing rising instances of gangster activity in states currently governed by the BJP—including Haryana, Maharashtra, and Rajasthan—Arora argued that crime is a national challenge rather than a state-specific failure.

“The Punjab government is fully prepared to stand by its performance record, but the Union government must first answer for its own governance failures over the last 12 years,” he concluded, setting the stage for a heated political debate as both parties vie to control the narrative on security and public safety.

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