The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Punjab Women’s Wing on Saturday staged a massive district-level protest outside the SDM (Sub Divisional Magistrate) office in Samrala against the alleged assault and humiliation of an elderly Dalit woman at a Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) office. Thousands of women participated in the protest, which was led by AAP Women’s Wing Punjab President and Moga MLA Dr. Amandeep Kaur Arora. Ludhiana Mayor Principal Inderjit Kaur and several other women leaders also joined the demonstration.

The protesting women raised slogans against the Badal family and those allegedly involved in the incident. They also burnt an effigy of SAD leader Sukhbir Singh Badal and expressed their anger against Sukhbir Singh Badal and Harsimrat Kaur Badal for maintaining silence over the incident.

Addressing the protesters, AAP Punjab Women Wing President Dr. Amandeep Kaur Arora said, “Everyone has seen the disturbing visuals of how a woman was beaten by other women inside the Akali Dal office. The woman reportedly said only one thing, that Bhagwant Singh Mann is like her son. She was allegedly told that the office belonged to the Badals and that she would be beaten if she took Bhagwant Singh Mann’s name there. This is an extremely shameful attitude.”

The AAP Punjab Women Wing President said, “Who gave anyone the right to take the law into their own hands? Whether the person is politically powerful or not, the law is equal for everyone. If there was any disagreement with the woman, the police should have been called. She should not have been called into an office and assaulted.”

Dr. Amandeep Kaur Arora said, “The woman was beaten simply because she took Bhagwant Singh Mann’s name. This shows how much fear and frustration the Badals have towards Bhagwant Singh Mann. The Chief Minister has continued to work for the people of Punjab and has delivered work that traditional parties failed to deliver during decades in power.”

The AAP MLA further said that the SAD and Congress had repeatedly used divisive politics and attempted to damage Punjab’s social fabric for political gains. She said the people of Punjab had rejected such politics and would not tolerate the humiliation or intimidation of women. “The AAP Women’s Wing stands firmly with every woman of Punjab. No woman should be assaulted, threatened or humiliated. We demand a fair and impartial investigation and the strictest possible action against whoever is found responsible,” she said.

Dr. Amandeep Kaur Arora also urged the Commissioner of Police, SSP and Additional Deputy Commissioner concerned to ensure that the matter was investigated fairly and that appropriate legal action was taken against those found guilty.

Citizens’ participation in Punjab’s fight against drugs has emerged as a significant force, with 51,979 tip-offs received from citizens helping authorities make 25,339 arrests under the state’s anti-drug enforcement drive under the Punjab Bhagwant Mann Government’s ‘Yudh Nashean Virudh’.

The data covers the period from March 1, 2025, when the Yudh Nashean Virudh was launched, to September 3, 2026.

The tip-offs were received through the Safe Punjab Helpline (97791-00200), providing the enforcement agencies with information on suspected drug peddling and related activities.

What is significant is that out of the overall number of FIRs — 59,293 — under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act in Punjab, more than 25,000 arrests have resulted from tip-offs.

Apart from this, the crackdown has also focused on major players in the drug trade. According to the data, 696 ‘big fish’ were arrested with more than 2 kg of heroin each, pointing to action against suppliers handling large quantities rather than only street-level peddlers.

The scale of recoveries further highlights the extent of the operation. Enforcement agencies have recovered 3,757 kg of heroin, 964 kg of opium, 45 tonnes of poppy husk, 1,288 kg of ganja and 71 kg of methamphetamine, commonly known as ICE. In addition, 62 lakh tablets and capsules have been recovered under the NDPS Act.

The enforcement drive has also resulted in the seizure of ₹22 cr drug money or money recovered that was meant to illegal buying, selling, distribution, or trafficking of drugs. Also 2,675 cases involving commercial quantities of drugs have been registered.

Punjab DGP Gaurav Yadav said, “Tip-offs have provided extra teeth to the Anti-Narcotics Task Force and we firmly believe that in the days to come, there will be more citizen participation in giving tip-offs and subsequent arrests as a result of it.”

ADGP ANTF Punjab Nilabh Kishore added, “The figures suggest that the anti-drug campaign is increasingly combining enforcement action with citizen-generated intelligence. The over 51,979 tip-offs received through the helpline indicate that members of the public are actively feeding information into the enforcement mechanism.”

The state has also sought to encourage people struggling with addiction to enter the treatment system through police intervention. The data shows that 42,498 persons struggling with addiction were admitted to de-addiction centres by the police, while another 1,55,970 persons struggling with addiction were taken by the police to OOAT clinics.

Separately, 11,239 individuals have been granted immunity under Section 64A of the NDPS Act, a provision that offers protection in specified circumstances to drug-dependent persons who voluntarily undergo treatment. The latest figures therefore highlight the anti-drug campaign’s two-pronged approach — a large-scale crackdown on the supply chain and increased reliance on citizens and law-enforcement personnel to identify people and networks involved in the drug trade.