Opposition leaders have also questioned whether public resources were used to bring people to the rally and to manage the arrangements at the venue.
A political controversy has broken out in Punjab after the state’s Chief Secretary and Director General of Police (DGP) spoke at a large anti-drug rally held in Moga district, where leaders of the ruling Aam Aadmi Party were present on stage.
The rally took place at Killi Chahal village near Moga and was organised under the government’s “War Against Drugs” campaign, also known as “Yudh Nasheyan Virudh.” The event saw the presence of AAP’s national convenor Arvind Kejriwal along with several senior party leaders. According to sources in the state government, the programme was officially part of the state’s anti-narcotics drive and was not meant to be a political gathering.
However, opposition parties have strongly objected to the participation of the top bureaucrat and the state police chief at the rally. They say that senior civil and police officers are expected to remain politically neutral and should not appear at events where ruling party leaders are sharing the stage. The opposition claims this may go against service conduct rules meant for All India Services officers, which bar them from taking part in political activity or appearing to support a political party.
Leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party have criticised the Punjab government and questioned whether official positions were misused. Punjab BJP president Sunil Jakhar said it needs to be clarified if service rules allow senior officers to address what he described as a political rally. He alleged that the government blurred the line between an official campaign and a party event.
Other opposition groups, including the Shiromani Akali Dal, have raised similar concerns. The SAD has demanded an investigation into the matter and has approached the Punjab Governor and the Election Commission of India. The party has asked for a probe into whether government funds and administrative machinery were used for what it called a political mobilisation programme.
Opposition leaders have also questioned whether public resources were used to bring people to the rally and to manage the arrangements at the venue. They argue that if the event was political in nature, then using government staff and funds would be a serious violation.
So far, neither the Chief Secretary nor the DGP has issued any public statement explaining their presence or speeches at the rally. The Punjab government has also not released an official response to the allegations made by the opposition parties.
The issue has added to the ongoing political tension in the state, with the ruling AAP and opposition parties once again facing off over the use of government platforms and officials in public campaigns.
