Supreme Court's rebuke to police and government over rising drug menace in Punjab is a commendable step : Wadala, Chhotepur

Supreme Court's rebuke to police and government over rising drug menace in Punjab is a commendable step : Wadala, Chhotepur

Chandigarh 10 May ( Ranjeet Singh Dhaliwal ) : The country's highest court on Friday, while commenting on the rising threat of drugs in Punjab, described the resulting loss of lives as deeply concerning. Will the Punjab government take this observation seriously and move towards finding a solution? These views were expressed by Shiromani Akali Dal (Punar Surjit) Secretary General Gurpratap Singh Wadala and Senior Vice President Sucha Singh Chhotepur in a written press statement. They said that when the Punjab government claims to be waging a "war against drugs", why are meaningful results not visible? Just yesterday, data released by the NCRB showed that Punjab recorded the highest number of drug trafficking cases in the country in 2024 – 8,973 cases. Despite this, Punjab also ranks second in the number of deaths caused by drugs.

For this very reason, the Supreme Court, while pulling up the police, observed that the "big crocodiles" are not being caught. Both leaders further said in their statement that it is astonishing that the Supreme Court knows that the big traffickers are not being apprehended and that Ludhiana is the epicentre of the drug trade. Yet the so‑called "smart" Punjab Police, which boasts of registering the highest number of cases in the country, has no idea which major drug kingpin is openly selling narcotics in its own jurisdiction and killing the sons of ordinary people.

The Honourable Judges also mentioned the mother who has lost five sons. If the busy, overworked judges sitting in Delhi have knowledge of such cases and also display deep sensitivity, then why do these tragic incidents not affect the Punjab Police? The government waging a war against drugs needs to take seriously the court's observations calling for a "change in methods" and for "sensitising the police". Both leaders stated that this is no longer merely a law and order issue – it is now linked to the future of the entire society, where an entire generation is being pushed to the brink of destruction.