In a significant boost to the Aam Aadmi Party in Punjab, several prominent Congress leaders, former office-bearers, elected representatives and social figures joined the AAP in the presence of senior AAP leader and Punjab Prabhari Manish Sisodia, MLA Barinder Kumar Goyal and Punjab AAP Media In-charge Baltej Pannu.

Those who joined the AAP include Sanmeek Singh Hanry, Member, PPCC and Coordinator, Halqa Dirba; Prabh Noor Sidhu, State Secretary, Youth Congress and former Vice President, District Sangrur; Adv. Rajnish Gupta, Member, Punjab State Grievance Committee and Municipal Councillor, Ward No. 6, Lehragaga; Gursevak Singh, former Sarpanch, Rorewala and Vice President, District Congress Committee; Lakhwinder Singh, General Secretary, District Congress Committee; Mandeep Singh, General Secretary, District Congress Committee and President, SAP Student Union, Patiala; Veer Singh, former Sarpanch, Salemgarh; Sukhwinder Singh, DP Master; Rohit Kumar Singla, Property Advisor; Rocky Garg, Businessman; Dr. Baljeet Singh, former Sarpanch and former Chairman, SC Wing; Gurpreet Singh, former Border Security Force personnel; and Sukhpal Sharma, Businessman.

Welcoming the new members into the party fold, senior AAP leader and Punjab Prabhari Manish Sisodia said, “Leaders sitting in other political parties who genuinely love Punjab are increasingly looking towards the Aam Aadmi Party as a ray of hope. Arvind Kejriwal planted a sapling which Bhagwant Singh Mann has nurtured and grown tremendously in four years in Punjab. Today, the entire Punjab can see its growth.”

Highlighting the work of the Bhagwant Mann government, the AAP Punjab Prabhari pointed out, “The work being done for farmers, including ensuring water for agriculture, along with improvements in education and healthcare, free electricity and financial assistance for women, is before the people of Punjab. Leaders in other parties are thinking that the AAP is the only hope left for taking Punjab forward. Under the leadership of CM Bhagwant Singh Mann, Punjab can continue to progress.”

Speaking on behalf of the new entrants, Sanmeek Singh Hanry said, “The leaders and workers who have joined AAP have spent a long time with the Congress. We are third-generation Congress leaders, but increasingly felt ignored and sidelined. We realised that our work was not being valued and that there was no space for genuine ground-level workers.”

Sanmeek Singh Hanry said, “The Bhagwant Mann government has started working from the grassroots, and we wanted to be part of a political organisation where the contribution of every worker is recognised and respected.”

Praising Minister Barinder Kumar Goyal, Sanmeek Singh Hanry said, “The way Cabinet Minister Barinder Kumar Goyal is working to transform the face of our constituency is commendable. Whether it is the issue of water for farmers or improving Punjab’s schools, he is taking every sector forward. This reflects the positive thinking of the AAP.”

Sanmeek Singh Hanry further stated, “It is deeply unfortunate that senior Congress leaders are making claims about four tickets going to a single family while ignoring workers who have spent decades working on the ground. AAP is the only party where volunteers and grassroots workers are valued and respected.”

The new entrants said they were joining the AAP with the belief that the party provides greater respect and opportunities to grassroots workers and remains committed to the development and progress of Punjab.

A serious health condition does not only affect a person’s wellbeing; it can place an enormous emotional and financial burden on an entire family. When the illness is related to mental health, stigma, lack of awareness and concerns over treatment costs can create additional barriers, often delaying the decision to seek professional help.

Punjab’s Mukh Mantri Sehat Yojana (MMSY) is helping address one part of that challenge by making covered mental-health treatment financially accessible. Data from the State Health Agency (SHA), Punjab, as of August 11, 2026, shows that in the available seven-month period, 709

beneficiaries received mental-health treatment under the scheme, involving treatment worth ₹83.36 lakh.

The age profile provides a particularly significant insight. 284 beneficiaries treated cashless under Mukh Mantri Sehat Yojana were aged 31–45, while 249 were aged 18–30. Together, these two groups account for 533 beneficiaries, or 75.2 per cent of the total.

On this, Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr Balbir Singh said, “Mental healthcare should not become a luxury that a family seeks only when it can afford it. If someone needs professional help, the focus should be on getting that person the right care at the right time.”

The SHA data also shows that Mukh Mantri Sehat Yojana is addressing a range of mental-health conditions, including neurotic and stress-related disorders, mood and affective disorders, behavioural syndromes associated with physiological and physical factors, and mental and behavioural disorders linked to psychoactive substance use. The treatment pattern highlights the importance of addressing both common mental-health conditions and those associated with substance use.

Dr Gagandeep Sekhon, MD Psychiatry, Consultant Psychiatrist, Civil Hospital Barnala, said, “The 18–45 age group is particularly important from a mental-health perspective because this is the phase when people are building careers, managing relationships, raising families and handling significant financial responsibilities.”

Dr Gagandeep Sekhon added, “Mental health concerns are often ignored until they begin to interfere with daily functioning, by which time they are harder to manage.”

The SHA data also highlights the close relationship between mental health and substance use, making Punjab’s Yudh Nashean Virudh campaign particularly relevant to the state’s broader mental-health response. Substance dependence can have psychological, behavioural and social consequences and may require sustained professional treatment, de-addiction and rehabilitation. The Mukh Mantri Sehat Yojana data included psychoactive substance-use disorders and mood disorders, which points to the importance of early awareness, timely intervention and accessible treatment pathways for young people.

At the same time, prevention and healthy living can complement clinical treatment.

Minister Dr Balbir Singh shared, “The Bhagwant Mann-led government has been working towards making healthcare more accessible and affordable for every family in Punjab, with special attention to the health and wellbeing of our youth. With a ₹10 lakh cashless cover per family per year, and mental healthcare also covered under Mukh Mantri Sehat Yojana, the scheme helps remove the financial hesitation many people face when seeking treatment for mental-health conditions. Alongside this, ‘Yudh Nashean Virudh’ strengthens prevention, de-addiction and rehabilitation, while CM Di Yogshala promotes accessible wellness practices.”

Together, The Mukh Mantri Sehat Yojana, Yudh Nashean Virudh and CM Di Yogshala represent complementary parts of Punjab’s mental-health response; from prevention and healthy living to de-addiction, rehabilitation and access to professional treatment. With more than three out of every four beneficiaries in the available Mukh Mantri Sehat Yojana data belonging to the 18–45 age group, making timely mental healthcare accessible could be particularly important for protecting the health, productivity and wellbeing of Punjab’s working-age population.

The Bhagwant Mann government felicitated members of Village and Ward Defence Committees for their contribution to the ‘Yudh Nashean Virudh’ on the occasion of Independence Day. The felicitation ceremonies have kicked off a structured fortnight-long action and review process concluding with a state-level review meeting chaired by the Chief Minister on 31st August.

To integrate the Bhagwant Mann government’s initiative across all levels of government, Yudh Nashean Virudh activities will be front and centre in all celebrations around National Days and other significant government occasions. A decision to this effect was taken at the state-level function held on August 2 under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann.

As part of this initiative, outstanding members of the Village Defence Committees (VDCs) and Ward Defence Committees (WDCs) were felicitated across the state for their exemplary contribution to Punjab’s fight against drugs. The recognition serves as an important platform for those working at the community level to make Punjab a drug-free state.

At the district level, Deputy Commissioners honoured Assembly Coordinators and Vice Assembly Coordinators, while at the sub-division level, Sub-Divisional Magistrates felicitated Block Coordinators.

At the village level, special programmes were organised at various schools and panchayats, where sarpanches and community members recognised VDC members for their efforts towards building a drug-free Punjab.

The Deputy Commissioners of all 23 districts were directed to identify deserving VDC and WDC members in recognition of their contribution and active participation in furthering the objectives of Yudh Nashean Virudh.

The felicitation drive is part of a larger plan issued by the Office of the State Nodal Officer for the Anti-Drug Campaign that envisages a detailed fortnight-long campaign designed to turn community feedback into regular administrative and police reviews.

From August 16 to 25, VDC meetings will be held in every village. During these meetings, the committees will review any complaints about drug trafficking, examine the action taken by the police and administration on earlier complaints, track pending cases and provide fresh feedback.

The exercise will then move to the district level. Between August 26 and 29, cabinet ministers will chair district-level review meetings involving administration and police officials, health department representatives and district, assembly and block-level coordinators. The meetings will examine the feedback received from villages and determine further action.

The entire exercise will conclude with a state-level review meeting on August 31 to be chaired by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann. In this meeting, the government will assess district-wise progress and chalk out the plan for the next phase of the campaign.

With Independence Day serving as the first major platform for recognising members of the community who are at the forefront of the anti-drug campaign, the government is turning the campaign into a sustained people-led movement against drugs rather than limiting it to an enforcement initiative.