AAP leaders clash over anti-drug campaign in Punjab, SC wing chief apologizes after controversy

Newspunjab

16 march 2025

As part of the Punjab government’s ‘War on Drugs’ campaign, the police are continuously conducting a campaign against drug peddlers. Meanwhile, a clash was witnessed between local leaders of the Aam Aadmi Party on this issue. The dispute between Sarpanch Sukhwinder Singh of Halwara village and the president of the party’s Raikot SC wing, Mewa Singh, spilled onto the streets on Saturday.

Sarpanch Sukhwinder Singh has been trying to make the village drug-free for a long time and he decided to increase cooperation with the police by forming a committee against drug smugglers. Under this, he also proposed to impose a fine against those who give bail to drug smugglers. Along with this, Mewa Singh accused him of implicating the youth of the village in false cases and sending drug addicts to jail by calling them drug smugglers.

The controversy escalated on Saturday morning when Mewa Singh went on Facebook Live and used abusive language against Sarpanch Sukhwinder Singh and levelled serious allegations against him. As soon as the video went viral, there was a ruckus in Halwara village. In response, the Sarpanch raised the issue on the speaker of the Gurdwara Sahib and invited the villagers to gather at the crossroads. Meanwhile, a tense atmosphere prevailed on the Ludhiana-Bathinda highway, due to which traffic was affected.

Seeing the seriousness of the situation, Jaswinder Singh, in-charge of the Sudhar police station, reached the spot with a heavy police force. Meanwhile, Aam Aadmi Party MLA from Raikot, Hakam Singh Thekedar, sent his personal secretary Kamal Sukhna to negotiate a compromise. Sarpanch Sukhwinder Singh said in clear words that if making the village drug-free and taking action against drug smugglers is wrong, then he is ready to leave both his post and the party.

Seeing the situation deteriorating, the police and party leaders convinced Mewa Singh to publicly apologize. By evening, Mewa Singh expressed regret for his statement in front of the public, due to which the matter calmed down and the police administration breathed a sigh of relief.

It is worth mentioning that recently, Halwara police had arrested several youths with a consignment of narcotics. Due to this, the brother of one of the accused had threatened to kill the sarpanch, against whom the police have registered two separate cases under the NDPS Act and for threatening and sent him to jail.