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Chandigarh, September 21, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Punjab in-charge Manish Sisodia on Monday accused the BJP of supporting a person at the center of the Jagga Singh case in Sangrur and urged political parties to verify facts before making public statements on the matter.
Sisodia's remarks came after Jagga Singh of Namol village allegedly consumed a poisonous substance outside the Sangrur Deputy Commissioner's office. The incident has triggered a political row over allegations concerning drug activity in the village and the response of the Punjab government. The Sangrur SSP has said nine FIRs have been registered against Jagga Singh and that he has been convicted in four cases, including one under the NDPS Act.
“Political parties should first verify the facts about a person and understand how he is known in his village before making public statements or posting videos and tweets about such cases. The BJP commented on the matter without examining the facts surrounding the case,” Sisodia said.
He said the Bhagwant Mann government was pursuing its 'Yudh Nashean Virudh' campaign against drugs and called on opposition parties to support efforts against drug trafficking rather than use individual incidents to target the state government.
“The Bhagwant Mann government is firmly running its 'Yudh Nasheyan Virudh' campaign against drugs. At a time when the government is taking action against drug peddlers, why has the BJP chosen to publicly support people facing multiple criminal cases? Opposition parties should support efforts to eliminate drugs rather than use every incident to target the Punjab government,” he said.
Punjab Cabinet Minister Harbhajan Singh ETO also criticized the opposition for its response to the Jagga Singh case, saying political parties should first establish the facts before taking a position.
“The person at the center of the controversy has had multiple cases registered against him over several years. Opposition parties should have first gone to the village, understood the facts and assessed his standing there before taking a position on the matter,” ETO said.
He urged political leaders not to rely solely on social media claims while commenting on sensitive cases.
“When the Punjab government is running its 'Yudh Nashean Virudh' campaign against drugs and taking action against the drug network, opposition leaders should exercise greater responsibility before publicly supporting individuals facing multiple cases. Political parties should not make videos or statements based solely on claims made on social media without first verifying the facts,” he said.
ETO further appealed to opposition parties to cooperate with the government's efforts against drugs instead of using such incidents to target Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann.
“The opposition should cooperate in the government's efforts to eliminate drugs from Punjab instead of searching for incidents that can be used to target Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann. Opposition leaders should follow a simple process before commenting on such matters: first establish the facts, then verify them and only afterwards assess the circumstances of the case,” he said.
He added that the fight against drugs required collective support and that political differences should not hinder efforts to tackle the problem in Punjab.
The political exchange comes amid wider criticism and counter-allegations among the AAP, BJP and Congress over the drug issue in Punjab.