National Times Bureau, May 19, 2025: In a scathing attack on the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Punjab, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has submitted a formal memorandum to Governor Gulab Chand Kataria demanding a time-bound probe into the recent hooch tragedy in Majitha, Amritsar district. The tragedy has claimed 27 lives, with BJP alleging it to be the result of AAP’s complicity with the liquor mafia.
BJP Punjab State President Sunil Jakhar, in a detailed letter dated May 19, 2025, held Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s administration responsible for the avoidable loss of lives. The victims, mostly daily wage earners, reportedly showed symptoms of methanol poisoning, including blurred vision and temporary blindness.
Jakhar accused the AAP government of not only harboring but also benefiting from the illegal liquor network. He connected the incident to a broader pattern of misgovernance, referencing a similar hooch-related tragedy in Sangrur in March 2024. He also pointed to the now-scrapped Delhi Excise Policy, under which senior AAP leaders, including Manish Sisodia, are already facing legal action for allegedly accepting kickbacks from liquor contractors.
“While the CM brags about a drug-free Punjab, this tragedy shows that spurious liquor is an equally deadly menace being overlooked,” the memorandum stated. Jakhar also criticized the government’s policing failures, especially in a sensitive border district like Amritsar, where heightened vigilance is expected.
The BJP has urged the Governor to order investigations by central agencies. They demanded:
1. A CBI probe into the hooch tragedy to ensure justice.
2. An ED probe into AAP’s alleged links with the liquor mafia.
3. An audit of liquor quotas and foreign liquor distributions under AAP’s policies since July 2022.
4. Immediate inspection of stock registers related to the liquor policy.
5. Speeding up of ongoing CBI investigations connected to the Delhi Excise Policy to uncover the Punjab connection.
Calling AAP’s rule “incompetent and rudderless,” the BJP has alleged that policing in Punjab is being directed by the whims of AAP leaders in Delhi. The party claims the CM’s recent comments about eradicating drugs from Punjab ring hollow in light of the deadly spurious liquor crisis.
The memorandum ends with a call for accountability and justice for the victims, asserting that both public trust and human lives have been gravely compromised under the current regime.
