The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has lambasted the BJP for failing to control the rampant drug trade in Delhi. AAP’s Chief Spokesperson, Priyanka Kakkar, highlighted the growing distress among Delhiites, who are now pleading with Chief Minister Rekha Gupta to tackle the deepening crisis of drug addiction.
Drawing a stark contrast, the Chief AAP Spokesperson pointed to Punjab, where the AAP government has dismantled drug networks with 30,000 FIRs, the arrest of 6,500 smugglers, and a crackdown on corrupt law enforcement. Despite repeated appeals from AAP leaders, including Arvind Kejriwal, Home Minister Amit Shah has turned a blind eye to Delhi’s worsening drug menace.
Addressing a press conference at the AAP headquarters on Monday, AAP’s Chief Spokesperson Priyanka Kakkar highlighted the worsening drug problem in Delhi. She pointed out that during Chief Minister Rekha Gupta’s recent visits to various parts of the city, residents consistently identified drugs as their primary concern. Even during her visit to RK Puram on Sunday, locals voiced fears about increasing drug abuse, with many revealing that their children were involved in drug consumption and trade. They urged the government to take action against this crisis.
The Chief AAP Spokesperson emphasized that AAP’s National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal and senior party leaders have repeatedly written to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, seeking discussions on drug control and Delhi’s deteriorating law and order situation. “However, Amit Shah has neither granted them an audience nor taken any concrete steps to address the issue which destroys our youth. The BJP-led central government has failed in its duty, all kinds of drugs—including those available on the dark web and international narcotics—are now accessible in Delhi,” she added.
Raising pointed questions for CM Rekha Gupta, Priyanka Kakkar remarked, “You have control over the police, CBI, ED, and the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB). What has the BJP done in the last 10 years to control the drug trade? Numerous laws exist to curb this problem, including the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), which allows action against those laundering illicit drug money. However, the central government has selectively used this law against its political opponents instead of drug mafias.”
She challenged the BJP government to name a single drug mafia against whom the PMLA has been invoked. “Is it because BJP’s top leaders are themselves involved in the drug trade that no action is being taken?” she questioned.
Highlighting the successful anti-drug initiatives in Punjab under AAP’s leadership, Priyanka Kakkar noted that previous governments—both BJP-Shiromani Akali Dal ((2007-2017) and Congress (2017-2021)—allowed drug trafficking to flourish, turning the state into ‘Udta Punjab’. However, under Arvind Kejriwal’s guidance and Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann’s leadership, the AAP government has cracked down on drug networks, yielding significant results.
“In the last three years, over 6,500 major drug smugglers have been arrested, 30,000 FIRs have been filed under the NDPS Act (Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985), and more than 10,000 police personnel linked to drug cartels have been transferred. Over 100 corrupt police officers who shielded drug networks have been arrested, and more than 45,000 traffickers have been taken into custody,” she said.
The Chief AAP Spokesperson affirmed, “We were able to achieve this because our intentions are clear—we want to steer the country in the right direction, ensure that our children receive quality education, and focus on their health. Good education and healthcare lead to higher productivity.”
Priyanka Kakkar pointed out the BJP of deliberately allowing children to fall victim to drugs in Delhi and other states under its rule. “BJP leaders don’t care about our children. Their own kids study in foreign universities while ours are left to suffer in a system overrun by drugs and communal violence. If the BJP is not protecting drug mafias, let CM Rekha Gupta meet Amit Shah and have them arrested. She must set an example in Delhi to curb this crisis,” she asserted.
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