Gangsters are roaming freely in Punjab, alleges former CM Amarinder Singh

Former Punjab Chief Minister and BJP leader Amarinder Singh on Thursday targeted the AAP government over the law and order issue in the state, alleging gangsters are roaming around without any fear in the state.

Speaking to reporters in Moga, he said when he was the CM, the situation was different as police took strict action against gangsters.

''Gangsterism has increased (in Punjab). It has to be curbed...I had set it right. Tell me, who were the gangsters during my tenure? Whosoever was there they were put behind bars. Police took strict action against them.

But now gangsters are roaming around everywhere,'' said Singh while replying to a question on law and order in Punjab.

On the November 11 Tarn Taran assembly bypoll, Singh, who joined the BJP in 2022, said his party was in a good position and it would win the bye-election.

Polling for the Tarn Taran bypoll will be held on November 11, and the results will be announced on November 14. The election was necessitated following the death of AAP MLA Kashmir Singh Sohal in June.

Asked whether there could be an alliance between the BJP and Akali Dal for the 2027 state assembly polls, Singh said his party is growing, and they won't need any alliance.

To a question on the drug issue, Singh said before the 2017 assembly polls, he had vowed by holding 'Gutka sahib' (religious text) in his hands to break the back of drugs.

Singh said he appointed senior IPS officer Harpreet Singh Sidhu as the head of the anti-drug force. At that time, around 1 lakh people associated with the drug menace were arrested, he said while speaking about the police action during his government's tenure.

He slammed Pakistan for its involvement in pushing drugs across the border with the motive to destroy the lives of the youth in Punjab. He further said that the neighbouring country is smuggling the contraband through drones.