New Delhi, 26 October (H.S.): The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has accused the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Punjab of failing to control crime, alleging that the law and order situation in the state has become a matter of serious concern.

The BJP said reports of murders, drug-related incidents and other criminal activities continued to emerge from Punjab, raising concerns about public safety.

Addressing a press conference in New Delhi on Monday, BJP national spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia alleged that criminals in Punjab were becoming increasingly emboldened, leaving ordinary citizens feeling unsafe. He held the Bhagwant Mann-led government responsible for the situation and accused it of shielding criminals rather than taking effective action against them. In a sharp attack on the AAP, Bhatia described the party as an “anarchic criminal party”.

Bhatia referred to three murder incidents that he said had occurred over the preceding 24 to 36 hours. The first involved the killing of two young men in Punjab’s Moga district.

According to Bhatia, armed assailants arrived in a black Scorpio SUV without a registration plate and opened fire indiscriminately on the two men. Both victims died, while several other people sustained injuries. Citing the incident, he questioned the availability of illegal firearms in the state and the apparent ease with which armed attacks were being carried out.

The BJP spokesperson said the circumstances surrounding the incident — including the unregistered vehicle, armed assailants and the shooting in broad daylight — raised serious questions about the state’s law and order machinery. He alleged that such incidents were intensifying public anxiety over personal safety.

Bhatia also highlighted the problem of drugs alongside the state’s crime situation. He alleged that the government had failed to effectively prevent murders, drug-related incidents and other serious offences.

He stressed that people affected by criminal incidents deserved justice and that the government had a responsibility to ensure their safety.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar