Punjab police conducted state-wide raids as part of anti-drug operation Photo: X/PTI Punjab police conducted state-wide raids as part of anti-drug operation Photo: X/PTI In a state-wide anti-drug drive, Punjab Police on Saturday conducted raids at 750 locations after Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Friday set a deadline of three months to make the state drug-free. On Saturday, the cabinet sub-committee held its first meeting on the "Yudh Nashia Virudh" (Fight Against Addiction) campaign.
Officials told PTI that around 12,000 police personnel were involved in the operation. The Punjab government has launched a renewed push against the state's drug problem.
VIDEO | On the instructions of Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann to act against drugs menace, Punjab Police is doing raids in the entire state. DIG Mandeep Singh Sidhu informing about the raids in Patiala says: #Punjab #Drugsmenace #PunjabPolice pic.twitter.com/SWBeZOKhc8
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) March 1, 2025The state government has formed a committee headed by Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema, to monitor the actions of the police and health departments in dealing with the drug issues.
1999grupo Greater Noida Meth Lab Bust, Mexican Cartel, And Cannibalism | What We Know About The Anti-Drug Drive In PunjabAddressing the media after the meeting, Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema told reporters that the first meeting of the "Yudh Nashia Virudh" campaign was held to ensure strict action against drug peddlers and drug smugglers.
"The Aam Aadmi Party has launched a big attack against drugs. CM Bhagwant Mann has issued strict instructions. As per directions of AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal's directions, we will take strict action. Soon, not even a single drug peddler will be found in Punjab," he claimed.
Punjab CM Mann, Schoolchildren Offer Prayers At Golden Temple As Part Of Anti-Drug Initiative Duties Divided Amongst Committee MembersAs per PTI, members of the cabinet sub-committee have been assigned different districts to monitor the police action against the drug menace.
While Cheema said he will visit Pathankot, Gurdaspur, Nawanshahr, Hoshiarpur, Rupnagar and Tarn Taran districts,Arora will monitor Ludhiana, Patiala, Kapurthala,ijogo cassino Mohali, Amritsar and Jalandhar.
Minister Taranpreet Singh Sond on the other hand will visit Sangrur, Barnala, Bathinda, Fatehgarh Sahib, Moga and Malerkotla and Laljit Singh Bhullar will see Faridkot, Mukstar, Fazilka, Mansa and Ferozepur.
Health Minister Balbir Singh will supervise the drug de-addiction and rehabilitation programme in the state.
Active WCC members Rima Kallingal is also part of this new venture. The names in leadership roles of the new organisation suggest its character. Ashiq Abu and Rajeev Ravi are prominent filmmakers who have worked to move Malayalam cinema away from locations and stories that focused on upper castes. Ashiq's “Virusjogos365,” a 2019 medical thriller based on Kerala’s tryst with the Nipah outbreak, has been widely acclaimed. Rajeev Ravi, a cinematographer and filmmaker popular in Bollywood for his collaborations with Anurag Kashyap, has a collection of films that have garnered national and international awards. Kamal K.M., known for his debut Hindi feature film “ID,” is also at the forefront of this new collective. His 2022 Malayalam film “Pada,” based on a true story from 1996, depicts a hostage situation involving the Palakkad District Collector and a Naxal group, the Ayyankali Pada, which demanded the repeal of the amendment to the Kerala Scheduled Tribes (Restriction on Transfer of Lands and Restoration of Alienated Lands) Act, 1975. This amendment legalised the transfer of Adivasi land between 1960 and 1984. Though the Ayyankali Pada kept Kerala on edge for an entire day by taking the law into their own hands, they garnered widespread sympathy for their cause. Kamal's film was also widely appreciated for its quality.