Punjab Hooch Tragedy: Opposition Leader Partap Singh Bajwa Slams AAP, Questions CM's Role In Drug War Failure

Chandigarh: Leader of the Opposition in the Punjab Assembly, Partap Singh Bajwa, on Tuesday slammed ruling Aam Aadmi Party government's war against drugs campaign, following the hooch tragedy in Majitha, which claimed 17 lives.

Bajwa said, “Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has publicly stated that such a tragedy could not have occurred without political, bureaucratic, or police support. If the liquor mafia is flourishing under his nose, he is either complicit - or incompetent.”

15 innocent lives lost due to spurious liquor — a direct result of the negligence and failure of CM @BhagwantMann and the Excise Minister. This tragedy exposes the hollow claims of @AAPPunjab’s ‘Yudh Nasheyan De Virudh’ campaign. The mask is slipping, and the truth is out.… pic.twitter.com/kEN1K6UksG

— Partap Singh Bajwa (@Partap_Sbajwa) May 13, 2025

#WATCH | Punjab | On Amritsar hooch tragedy, LoP Punjab Assembly, Partap Singh Bajwa says, "Bhagwant Mann is directly responsible for what has happened. He is the Chief Minister and the Home Minister." pic.twitter.com/khLeR4oM9u

— ANI (@ANI) May 13, 2025

"This is not the first incident in the three-year regime of the AAP. In March last year, eight people died after consuming illicit liquor in the Dirba assembly segment of Sangrur district. Notably, the Dirba assembly segment is being represented by Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema and Sangrur is a home district of CM Bhagwant Mann," Bajwa stated.

Meanwhile, Punjab BJP president Sunil Jakhar also attacked the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) over the Majitha liquor tragedy, stating that individuals who have been jailed for liquor scams are now governing Punjab.

Jakhar further alleged that the liquor mafia, previously active in Delhi, is now thriving in Punjab, exploiting the poor. He accused liquor traders of receiving political patronage, which is why such tragic incidents continue to occur. He pointed out that the government failed to learn from the earlier Sangrur liquor tragedy, resulting in more innocent lives lost.