Punjab Congress MLAs protest law-and-order crisis after anti-drugs crusader killed

Congress MLAs in Punjab demonstrated against the state government's handling of law and order on Wednesday, burning an effigy of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann in response to escalating violence in the region. The protest was triggered by the murder of an anti-drugs crusader, an incident that party leaders say underscores a broader collapse of public safety mechanisms in the state.

Partap Singh Bajwa, a senior Congress leader, voiced sharp criticism of the government's security apparatus during the demonstration. "It is the voice of the entire Punjab that law and order has completely ended in Punjab," Bajwa stated, reflecting the opposition party's stance that the ruling dispensation has failed to maintain basic civic order.

The killing of the anti-drugs activist has intensified concerns about rising criminality and gang violence in Punjab, a state that has grappled with drug trafficking and organized crime in recent years. The Congress party seized on the incident as evidence of governmental inefficiency, using the protest to mount pressure on the Mann administration ahead of upcoming political engagements.

The demonstration represents escalating tensions between the state government and opposition lawmakers over public safety issues. Congress has repeatedly targeted the Aam Aadmi Party government on matters of law enforcement, arguing that the administration has been unable to stem criminal activities or protect citizens effectively.