A public programme in Tolewal village of Sangrur in Punjab turned into an uncomfortable showdown for Punjab Minister and AAP state chief Aman Arora when a Nihang youth confronted him over the alleged open sale of chitta (heroin), liquor and rising thefts.
The incident, captured on video, has triggered sharp reactions from Shiromani Akali Dal chief Sukhbir Singh Badal and Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini.
During the programme, Nihang youth Gurpreet Singh, a Tolewal resident, questioned Arora about the alleged drug trade and also confronted village sarpanch Gurdeep Singh Deepa over chitta sales and thefts.
When Arora asked him to identify the drug sellers, the youth challenged him to ask the villagers. Another resident backed the allegations, claiming that drug was also being sold openly.
Arora subsequently directed the Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) present at the venue to investigate the allegations thoroughly and submit a report at the earliest. Police are looking into the matter.
Sukhbir: Is AAP protecting drug peddlers?
Targeting the Bhagwant Mann government, Sukhbir Badal pointed out that Tolewal is barely 1.5 km from Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann's native village Satauj.
"Chitta is being sold openly. Is this the promise of a drug-free Punjab? Negligence, or deliberate protection to peddlers?" he asked.
Badal said villagers were questioning Aman Arora about the government's action against drugs, warning that the lives of children and teenagers were at risk. He also claimed that Giani ji was worried that his boys could be picked up for raising their grievances before the minister.
"When citizens fear speaking up, and peddlers roam free, who is this government really protecting?" Badal asked, accusing AAP of standing with smugglers and the mafia rather than whistleblowers and those fighting drugs.
Just 1.5 km from CM Bhagwant Mann's own village Satauj, in Tolewal, chitta is being sold openly. Is this the promise of a drug-free Punjab? Negligence, or deliberate protection to peddlers? Residents of Tolewal are now openly questioning Minister Aman Arora, what has this government actually done to stop drugs? This village is facing the demon itself, and the lives of their children and teenagers are at risk. Giani ji himself was scared that his boys would be picked up for daring to raise their grievances before the Minister. When citizens fear speaking up, and peddlers roam free, who is this government really protecting? Our children, Punjab's future, are being destroyed at the very roots. Every child lost to addiction is a future destroyed. This government is not with the whistleblowers and good Samaritans. It is with the smugglers and the mafia.
— Sukhbir Singh Badal (@officeofssbadal) November 11, 2026
Haryana Chief Minister calls AAP government 'AAP-da'
Nayab Singh Saini also seized the opportunity to attack AAP, saying it had become difficult for the party's ministers to enter villages in Punjab.
Describing it as an "AAP-da government", Saini said villagers had cornered the party's state president and minister over the open sale of chitta. He added that people from Punjab continued to repose faith in the BJP's commitment to a drug-free state and a secure future for its youth.
पंजाब में आप-दा सरकार के मंत्रियों का अब गांवों में घुसना मुश्किल हो गया है। पार्टी के प्रदेश अध्यक्ष एवं मंत्री अमन अरोड़ा को ग्रामीणों ने घेरकर गांव में खुलेआम 'चिट्टा' बिकने की शिकायत की। पंजाब के अपने परिवारजनों से जब भी मिलता हूं, नशामुक्त पंजाब और युवाओं के सुरक्षित भविष्य के भाजपा के संकल्प पर उनका अटूट विश्वास और भरोसा देखने को मिलता है।🙏🏻
— Nayab Saini (@NayabSainiBJP) November 11, 2026
With the 2027 Assembly elections approaching, the confrontation has handed the opposition fresh ammunition to question AAP's anti-drug campaign. Allegations of chitta sales so close to the Chief Minister's native village have made the political embarrassment even sharper.
Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world
