Chandigarh: Congress leader Amarinder Singh Raja Warring on Wednesday slammed Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Punjab over the state's drug crisis, in a post on X reported by news agency ANI.

Source: ANI via Indian Economic Observer

Warring cited a viral video of a serving CRPF jawan who, in Warring's account, spoke out against drug availability and reported facing state intimidation and administrative action for raising his voice. Warring questioned whether highlighting the reality of substance abuse in Punjab has now been criminalised by the state administration, ANI reported.

Source: Warring's post on X

"This is today's Punjab... Addiction isn't stopping, but the voices rising against addiction are being suppressed. This question wasn't raised by any ordinary citizen, but by a jawan of the CRPF deployed for the country's security. Speak out on addiction and you'll go to jail, ask questions and you'll face action — since when has speaking the truth in Punjab, @BhagwantMann, become a crime?" Warring said in the post, as reported by ANI.

Warring accused the Mann government of suppressing citizens, security personnel and activists who expose local drug networks — an allegation, reported as his claim. The allegation that the CRPF jawan faced intimidation or action for speaking out comes from Warring's post and the video he cited; it has not been independently verified, and no CRPF or Punjab government statement on the jawan was carried in the reports checked.

Context: Punjab's drug debate after the Mansa incidents

ANI reported that Warring's post follows a spate of incidents across Punjab, including the killing of anti-drug activist Parvinder Singh Jhota in Mansa and public protests by grieving families — developments Awaaz Punjab has reported separately, including the Mansa protest after the death of Daljit Singh, where police said a murder case was registered and the cause of death would be established by postmortem.

The reports checked — ANI's report and its syndication, and a separate report by Khelja carrying the same ANI account — carried no response from the AAP, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann or the Punjab government to Warring's latest post at the time of reporting. This story will be updated if a response is issued.

Source: Khelja (ANI report)

What is solid

  • Congress leader Amarinder Singh Raja Warring posted the quoted criticism of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and the AAP government on X on Wednesday, as reported by ANI.
  • Warring's post cited a viral video of a serving CRPF jawan and linked it to Punjab's drug crisis.

What is only claimed

  • Warring's allegation that the Punjab government suppresses citizens, security personnel and activists who speak against drugs — his claim, not an established finding.
  • The claim that the CRPF jawan faced intimidation or administrative action for speaking out — reported only as Warring's account of the video, not independently verified; no AAP, Punjab government or CRPF response was carried in the reports checked.