Chandigarh, Feb 17: The oath-taking ceremony for Village Defence Committee members in Moga represents a decisive turning point in the state’s efforts to eliminate narcotics, Aam Aadmi Party Punjab Chief Spokesperson Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal declared Tuesday. During a press conference, the MLA maintained that the massive public participation signaled a renewed collective resolve to free Punjab from the drug menace.
The Punjab Government, under the leadership of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, initiated the ‘Yudh Nashean Virudh’ campaign in March last year. Dhaliwal affirmed that the strategy has already produced tangible results across the region. “Big smugglers were arrested and sent to jail, cases were registered, and action was taken against drug networks,” the spokesperson stated. He noted that the administration paired these enforcement actions with extensive awareness drives reaching thousands of villages.
Central to this structural approach is the formation of 10-member Village Defence Committees within every ward, city, and village. These groups function as a bridge between the public and law enforcement. “These committees have played a crucial role by mobilising people against drugs and by sharing credible information with Punjab Police and the district administration about those involved in drug peddling,” Dhaliwal added.
The spokesperson characterized the movement as a collaborative effort involving three distinct fronts. He asserted that the police, the administration, and the VDCs must work in unison to achieve success. “This fight cannot be won by police alone, nor by the administration alone, nor by people alone,” Dhaliwal said, describing the Moga gathering as the start of a second, more intensive phase of the campaign.
Addressing criticism from political opponents, the MLA suggested that the scale of public mobilization has caused unease among traditional parties. He questioned the previous records of the Shiromani Akali Dal and Congress, asking what specific actions they took against smuggling networks during their respective tenures. Dhaliwal maintained that the current administration would continue to reward those who assist in major recoveries, citing a recent case where a sarpanch received ₹10 lakh following a 40 kg heroin seizure.
