Chandigarh, October 19: Congress general secretary and Punjab in-charge Sachin Pilot on Monday accused the Aam Aadmi Party government of failing to protect Punjab's families from extortion, gun violence and drugs, as his five-day tour of the state — meeting families hit by the drug menace and gangster violence — entered its final phase.
"It is heartbreaking to see so many families in Punjab lose their loved ones to extortion, gun violence, and drugs. A land known for its vibrant culture and hardworking people deserves safety, peace, and a prosperous future," Pilot posted on X. Addressing these issues, he said, requires "strong leadership, accountable governance, effective law enforcement, and most importantly, the political will to protect Punjab's people and future."
On Sunday, Pilot, accompanied by Punjab Congress president Pargat Singh, visited bereaved families in Jalandhar and Hoshiarpur districts, including Nakodar and Shahkot. They met the family of Nakodar businessman Timmy Chawla, who was killed in December 2022, and the family of kabaddi player Sandeep Nangal Ambian, who was murdered in March 2022. In Hoshiarpur, they met the family of Balwinder Singh, an AAP worker and hardware trader who was shot dead in Miani village earlier this year. The Congress leaders said the families feel abandoned by the state government and pledged to raise their concerns in the Punjab Vidhan Sabha and in Parliament.
Earlier in the tour, on Saturday, Pilot met the family of Moga jeweller Parminder Singh, killed in June 2023, and the family of kabaddi player Tejpal Singh, murdered on October 31, 2025, in the Ludhiana area. He said Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will soon visit Punjab.
Allegations (made by Pilot and the Congress): Pilot alleged that Punjab's law-and-order situation has "collapsed", that people have "lost trust" in the Bhagwant Mann government, and that police personnel are being shot at and police posts attacked. He alleged that Timmy Chawla was killed after refusing to pay extortion money, that the police officer investigating Balwinder Singh's killing was linked to criminal networks, and that a promised job for Sandeep Nangal Ambian's widow was never delivered. Turning on the BJP, Pilot alleged that the drug crisis flourished during the BJP–Shiromani Akali Dal alliance years and asked what the Union government and the Home Ministry have done in 12 years to stop drugs and weapons crossing the border. These are opposition allegations; Awaaz Punjab has not independently verified them, and no response from the AAP government to Monday's post had been reported at the time of writing.
Pilot's tour closes a day before Union Home Minister Amit Shah's October 20 visit to meet the families of anti-drug voices killed in Mansa, Sangrur and Gurdaspur — a sign that, ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections, Punjab's drug and gangster crisis is now the main battleground for all three parties.
Sources: ANI; Mirror Now; PTI via Swadesi