Has war against drugs been won or is there a ceasefire, Cong's Warring asks Punjab CM

Chandigarh, May 31 (PTI) Punjab Congress chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring reminded Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Saturday about the deadline set by the AAP government to make the state drug-free, asking if the "war" against narcotics has been won or is there a "ceasefire".

Warring claimed that setting the "unrealistic" deadline was "for media optics only, a characteristic way of the AAP".

Following up with CM Mann's directive of making Punjab drug-free in three months, the state police chief had last month directed all senior officers to firm up plans to cut narcotic supply lines effectively by May 31 under the "Yudh Nashyan Virudh" initiative.

On Saturday, Punjab Police Chief Gaurav Yadav said the anti-drug drive has achieved a "major success" in the elimination of narcotics but the war against the menace would "continue relentlessly".

Congress leader Warring reminded Mann that the deadline ended on Saturday and asked if the "war on drugs been won or whether you have announced a unilateral ceasefire".

"Today is May 31, 2025, the DEADLINE you set for Defeating Drugs in Punjab. Will you please tell us about the status of the 'War on Drugs'? Please tell us, whether the 'War' has really been won. Or, is there a CEASEFIRE?" he asked on X.

Taunting Mann, the state Congress chief went on to say, "If the 'War' has really been won, the people of Punjab would like you to make the grand announcement yourself." "They would like to hear it from the horse's mouth before they start the celebrations," Warring said, adding, "If you make the victory announcement yourself, a Victory Parade should follow." The amount of money the AAP government "wasted" on the publicity campaign of the 'war against drugs' could have been used in setting up more de-addiction facilities, he said. PTI CHS NSD NSD