New Delhi [India], June 29 (ANI): Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) National General Secretary Tarun Chugh on Saturday launched a scathing attack on the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Punjab, alleging that drug mafias are operating freely in the state while Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann is preoccupied with the hospitality of party convenor Arvind Kejriwal.

While speaking to ANI, Tarun Chugh said, 'AAP's governance is primarily for headlines, not for public interest. Drug mafias are roaming freely, and the CM, Bhagwant Mann, is only engaged in the hospitality of Arvind Kejriwal.'

He further alleged that the governance failure in Punjab over the last several years has allowed crime and drug-related activities to flourish.

'AAP and Congress have been in power in Punjab for the last 8.5 years... The state has been thrown into the fire of crime and anarchy,' he added.

Reiterating the BJP's position on the issue, Chugh added, 'BJP stands strong against drug dealers. No dealer should be spared.'

His remarks come amid the arrest of Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Bikram Singh Majithia, who was sent to seven days of police custody by a Mohali court on Thursday in connection with a money laundering case linked to drugs. He is scheduled to be produced before the court again on July 2.

Meanwhile, AAP National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal, on the occasion of the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, asserted that the Punjab government is tackling the drug menace at its root.

In a post on X, on the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, Kejriwal wrote, 'Today is the International Day Against Drug Abuse. In Punjab, the AAP government is not just talking - we are taking strong action to make the state drug-free. We're fighting the problem at its root to protect our youth and their future. Let's salute every honest officer, volunteer, and citizen who stands with us in this real battle.'

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann also emphasised that their war against drugs has now transformed into a mass movement.

'The campaign we launched from Punjab to eradicate drugs, 'War Against Drugs', has now transformed into a mass movement. Those who ruin families and use the ill-got gains of this sin to build palaces and host lavish parties will not be spared,' CM Mann said while speaking to the media.

'We have improved law and order in Punjab and provided people with a safe environment. By taking the strictest action against drug traffickers, we have forced them to flee Punjab,' he said. (ANI)