SANGRUR: Punjab cabinet minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) state chief Aman Arora faced protests over the alleged open sale of “chitta” (heroin) during a public function at Tolawal village in Sangrur district’s Sunam on Wednesday.Nihang Sikh youth Gurpreet Singh Goldy approached the stage while Arora was distributing property ownership documents under the Punjab government’s Mera Ghar Mere Naam scheme. Supported by other residents, Goldy alleged that drugs were being sold “like toffees” and questioned the village sarpanch over drug trafficking and a rise in thefts.Addressing the gathering at Tolawal village, cabinet minister Aman Arora responded to local concerns over rampant drug abuse by stressing that the government and police could not eradicate the menace without active community involvement.As the crowd interrupted him, Arora pointed to a vicious cycle that was hindering police action: residents of neighbouring villages frequently stood as bail guarantors for arrested drug peddlers, allowing them to secure release easily. He urged villagers to take a collective oath not to stand as guarantors for those accused of drug trafficking.While defending the AAP government’s record and claiming that no serving minister or MLA was linked to the drug trade, unlike in previous regimes, Arora appealed to residents to look within their communities, support local anti-drug committees and stop merely blaming the administration.Arora directed the deputy superintendent of police present at the venue to investigate the allegations and submit a report at the earliest.When contacted, Sunam DSP Harsimran Singh said he would check whether any deaths due to drug overdoses had been reported from the village and whether any drug smugglers had been booked there. He said no formal information had been received from Gurpreet Singh Goldy, who had raised the issue of drug smuggling before the minister.The DSP added that a CASO (cordon and search operation) would be launched in villages across the Sunam subdivision as part of the follow-up action.Arora was touring eight villages in the Sunam constituency to distribute ownership letters to 2,256 families.A video of the confrontation went viral, prompting criticism from opposition leaders. Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal pointed out that Tolawal is around 1.5 km from Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s native village, Satauj.“Chitta is being sold openly. Is this the promise of a drug-free Punjab? Negligence, or deliberate protection to peddlers?” Badal said.Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini described the administration as an “AAP-da government” and said public anger over unfulfilled promises and the drug crisis had made it difficult for AAP ministers to enter villages in Punjab.The confrontation in Tolawal is not the first instance of villagers in Punjab openly challenging the drug trade. Two months ago, anti-drug activist Mohanjit Singh Sheron protested from a rooftop during Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s ‘Lok Milni’ event in Sangrur district. He waved a black flag and highlighted the alleged open sale of heroin (chitta).He later alleged that he had been illegally detained and severely tortured by the police, including being given electric shocks and physically assaulted. The allegations triggered widespread outrage and interventions by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) and political leaders.Later, Gulzar Singh, a 47-year-old Dalit labourer from Sangrur district, died by suicide on September 7 after allegedly facing harassment for publicly questioning a state minister. His death triggered a political outcry.More recently, the broad daylight murder of anti-drug activist Parvinder Singh Jhota further highlighted growing frustration and grassroots resistance among Punjab residents over the persistent drug crisis.
