The North News
Chandigarh, July 18
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has vowed to continue his government’s zero-tolerance crackdown on the drug trade, saying those once seen as “invincible drug Jarnails” are now behind bars. Speaking at the inauguration of new Tehsil complexes in Ahmedgarh and Amargarh on Friday, Mann accused previous political leaders of not only turning a blind eye to drug trafficking but actively aiding it using their official privileges. “These leaders, entrusted with public service, instead patronised the drug trade,” Mann said. “But our government is holding them accountable. They committed a genocide of our youth, and justice must be done.”
Mann lauded the public support for his administration’s Yudh Nasheyan Virudh (War Against Drugs), claiming it as evidence of Punjab’s unity against addiction. He asserted that his government would not rest until the state is free from the grip of drugs.
Criticising rival parties, Mann claimed internal rifts within the Badal-Majithia families and leadership crises in both Congress and the Shiromani Akali Dal were exposing their desperation for power. “They were ousted by the people and can’t survive without power,” he said.
Mann also highlighted his government’s efforts to combat sacrilege, revealing that the Punjab Prevention of Crime Against Religious Scriptures Bill, 2025 had been tabled in the Assembly. “This is about safeguarding the spiritual fabric of Punjab,” he said, referencing a spate of sacrilegious incidents since 2016.
He praised the Mukh Mantri Sehat Yojna, which offers ₹10 lakh of cashless medical treatment to every family in Punjab — a first in India — and claimed over 55,000 government jobs had been provided on merit, reversing youth migration trends.
Declaring a commitment to “clean and citizen-first governance,” Mann reiterated his anti-corruption stand and detailed reforms like Easy Registry and Easy Jamabandi.
“These modern tehsil complexes represent our vision of a responsive, people-centric administration,” he concluded, thanking residents for braving bad weather to attend.
