"People coming together to make Badalta Punjab": Arvind Kejriwal

New Delhi [India], March 26 (ANI): Former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday said that the Punjab government has launched a strong war against drugs in the state, adding that people are coming forward to make 'Badalta Punjab.'
"Our government in Punjab has launched a strong war against drugs. Now in the next phase, the big drug suppliers will be attacked. Not a single drug dealer or supplier will be spared. During the Congress, Akali Dal and BJP governments, they had defamed Punjab by calling it "Udta Punjab". Now people are coming together to make 'Badalta Punjab'," Kejriwal posted on X.
As part of the ongoing war against drugs 'Yudh Nashian Virudh' campaign was launched on the directions of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann and Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav.
According to an official statement, since the launch of this Anti-Drug Campaign on March 1 2025, an arrest of 3957 drug smugglers after registration of 2248 first information reports (FIRs) across the state have been made and led to recovery of large amount of contrabands, including 137.7 kg heroin from the possession of drug smugglers.
The Chief Minister and the Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav directed all the Commissioners of Police (CPs) and Senior Superintendents of Police (SSPs) to identify and catalogue the main drug suppliers/peddlers in their respective districts within seven days.
The statement also mentioned that the directive was issued through a stern letter, aims to systematically dismantle supply chains fuelling the state's narcotics trade.
"Feedback from the citizens and other inputs indicate that the street level availability of heroin and other drugs has considerably reduced", said DGP in his letter.
"However, there is a need to carry on the drug law enforcement in a meticulous and professional manner by ensuring effective action against the drug peddlers persons selling drugs in villages and urban mohallas, and suppliers, providing drugs to peddlers, added Gaurav Yadav in his letter.
DGP Gaurav Yadav has mandated all the CPs and SSPs to personally oversee the mapping exercise to prepare details of the suppliers funnelling drugs in their respective areas and catalogue them on the basis of interrogation reports, public tips, intelligence inputs, data from the Safe Punjab Helpline and backward and forward linkages unveiled in criminal investigations under the NDPS Act.
"This cataloguing must be evidence-based and comprehensive," the DGP ordered CPs/SSPs, while giving them warning that vague claims of ignorance about drug sources would be deemed unprofessional. "In the absence of effective mapping, it shall be presumed that you (CPs/SSPs) are not taking personal interest," stated DGP Gaurav Yadav.
While directing CPs/SSPs to submit reports in timely manner, DGP Gaurav Yadav has made it clear that laxity will not be tolerated at any cost.
Based on the reports, targeted operations will be launched to arrest main drug suppliers to choke drug smuggling networks, he added. (ANI)