Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Punjab President and Cabinet Minister Aman Arora shared details of the police crackdown under the Punjab government's anti-drug campaign, 'War Against Drugs', highlighting its success and impact.

On Monday, Aman Arora, along with AAP leaders Dr. Sunny Ahluwalia and Gurdev Lakhna, addressed a press conference at the party office in Chandigarh. He stated that the 'War Against Drugs' campaign has yielded highly encouraging results across Punjab. The public has welcomed the initiative, expressing their appreciation for the government's efforts.

He mentioned that the Punjab Police has been successfully executing the campaign throughout the state. So far, nearly 2,400 kg of narcotic substances, including large quantities of heroin, opium, and ganja, have been seized. Additionally, 2,721 cases have been registered under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, and 4,592 drug smugglers have been arrested.

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Monday said that the state government will oppose the Waqf Amendment Bill moved by the BJP led NDA government tooth and nail.

Interacting with the media persons after participating in festival of Eid, the Chief Minister said that the Muslim brethren are opposing this bill vehemently and the Aam Aadmi party is solidly with the community in this hour. He said that the party will oppose the bill strongly both in the Parliament and Vidhan Sabha to safeguard the interests of the Muslim community. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that the state government is committed to ensure the well being of every strata of society and no stone will be left unturned for it.

Replying to another query, the Chief Minister said that the state government is committed for making the optimum utilization of the groundwater in Punjab. Bhagwant Singh Mann said after assuming charge the AAP government has revived 15947 water courses in the state due to which water has reached at the tail ends even in remotest villages. He said that this is acting as a catalyst in saving the groundwater on one hand and ensuring canal water to the farmers for their irrigational needs.

Glitches in ‘Pollution Under Control’ certification for vehicles and entry of polluting trucks into Delhi may come up for discussion in the Assembly on Tuesday as Chief Minister Rekha Gupta prepares to table a Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) report ‘exposing’ failures of the previous AAP government in cleaning the city’s toxic air.

CM Gupta will table the report of the central government auditor on the 'Performance Audit on Prevention and Mitigation of Vehicular Air Pollution in Delhi' which will shed light on Arvind Kejriwal’s performance on the front till March 31, 2021.

This will be the third CAG report to be tabled by the BJP government in the Assembly since coming to power. On earlier occasions, the government tabled reports on the health sector and Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC).

Secretary of the Information and Public Relations Department and 2005 batch Punjab cadre IAS officer Malwinder Singh Jaggi is retiring today i.e. 31st March after putting in 33 years of distinguished service as a civil administrative officer.

Born in a teaching and intellectual family in Patiala, Mr. Jaggi's father Dr. Rattan Singh Jaggi is a prominent Sikh scholar who was recently awarded the fourth highest civilian honour, Padma Shri, by the Government of India for his literary achievements. The constructive and scholarly atmosphere of the house instilled good qualities and commitment in Malwinder Singh Jaggi from his childhood. After receiving his primary education from Patiala, Mr. Jaggi pursued professional education in engineering from the renowned engineering college GNE Ludhiana.

Haryana Energy, Transport and Labour Minister, Sh. Anil Vij listened to the grievances of people from different areas of Ambala Cantonment at his residence today and issued directions to the concerned officers for necessary action.

A woman from Khatik Mandi in Ambala Cantonment approached Cabinet Minister, Sh. Anil Vij with a complaint stating that her son had been sent to Dubai by two agents on the false promise of a good job. However, after reaching Dubai, he was forced to do labor work, which severely affected his health. The woman alleged that the agents had taken possession of her son’s passport and other documents. When she tried to contact them, they demanded Rs.1.5 lakh, which she paid, but despite this, her son was not allowed to return. She requested strict action against the accused. Cabinet Minister. Sh. Anil Vij directed the IG of Ambala to investigate the matter.

Haryana Health Minister, Kumari Arti Singh Rao said that under the leadership of Chief Minister, Sh. Nayab Singh Saini, the state government is committed to providing better services to the public in a fair and transparent manner.

Kumari Arti Singh Rao said this while addressing a meeting of officers in Narnaul.

She congratulated the Health Department and the District Administration for successfully making 128 Gram Panchayats of Mahendragarh district TB-free. The Health Minister expressed confidence that, by working together they will fulfill the resolution of Prime Minister, Sh. Narendra Modi of a TB-free India by 2025 ahead of schedule.While there has been significant improvement in the sex ratio in Mahendragarh district, there is still work to be done, she added.

Punjab Police have released several farmers, including Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM) convenor Sarwan Singh Pandher and Abhimanyu Kohar, from jail on Friday after eight days of detention.

After coming out of Muktsar jail, Pandher said, "I am going to Patiala, where I will talk to my fellow farmers. We strongly condemn the government's removal of our protest from Khanauri and Shambhu borders. Today, we will discuss the next programme."

Farmer leader Kohar said the health of Jagjit Singh Dallewal, leader of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political), who has been on a fast-unto-death, is critical.

"Dallewal has not taken even a drop of water since March 19. He is not even able to speak," he said.

Earlier this week, the Punjab government announced the release of 450 farmers from police detention.

Tension prevailed in Bhatpara under Barrackpore Police Commissionerate in West Bengal's North 24 Parganas district following a shootout in front of the residence of Arjun Singh, the former BJP Lok Sabha member.

The violence took place late Wednesday night, in which crude bombs were hurled and bullets fired.

One person identified as Saddam was injured after being hit by a bullet during the gang war. He is currently under treatment at a local hospital. He is known as a local Trinamool Congress associate.

The local police, however, have claimed that the situation has been brought under control. No one involved with the chaos will be spared,” said a senior police officer present at the spot.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government, led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann presented its 4th Budget today named  'Badlda Punjab Budget 2025-26'. Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema termed it as a visionary blueprint aimed at transforming Punjab into a vibrant, prosperous, and equitable state.

Addressing the media after his Budget speech, Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema launched a scathing attack on the previous governments for their failures and mismanagement, which plunged Punjab into financial and social turmoil. "The Akali Dal and Congress regimes systematically destroyed Punjab's economy and society with corruption, drugs, poor policies, and lack of vision. They left us a state riddled with drugs, unemployment, and crumbling infrastructure. In just three years, we have reversed this decline and set Punjab on a path of progress," said Cheema.

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday allowed J&K MP Engineer Rashid to attend the ongoing Budget Session proceedings.

The second half of the Budget Session began on March 10 and will conclude on April 4.

Engineer Rashid, who won the Lok Sabha election from Jammu and Kashmir’s Baramulla constituency by defeating National Conference Vice President, and now Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah by over two lakh votes while he remained lodged in Tihar Jail, is accused in a terror funding case being probed by the National Investigation Agency (NIA).

A bench of Justices Chandra Dhari Singh and Anup Jairam Bhambhani on Tuesday reserved its decision after hearing the oral arguments advanced by the counsel representing the anti-terror agency and Engineer Rashid’s lawyer.

In a bizarre development, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta's convoy came to an abrupt halt at a flyover in the national capital, forcing her and the accompanying officials to stay put on the road for as long as 15 minutes.

Stray cattle were apparently the reason behind the sudden halt of the Delhi Chief Minister's convoy. While the Chief Minister and her support staff were passing through the city's Haidarpur flyover, a group of about four to five stray cattle came in their way.

As per eyewitnesses, a mishap was averted as the driver applied the brakes on time and the convoy halted at the flyover.

Taking a historic decision to check the illegal mining in state, the Punjab Cabinet led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Wednesday nod for the enactment of the Punjab Regulation of Crusher Units Act 2025.

A decision to this effect was taken in the meeting of the Council of Ministers held here under the chairmanship of the Chief Minister here at his official residence.

The Cabinet have approved to bring this act in the ongoing session of the state assembly. This will strengthen the Department in regulating the activities of Crusher Units and Screening Plants which are engaged in processing of sand and gravel. This will in turn help in checking illegal mining operations in the state by promoting legal mining in the state.

AAP National Convener Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday accused the Congress, Akali Dal, and BJP of defaming Punjab by labelling it as “Udta Punjab” during their respective tenures.

Kejriwal made the charge at rival parties while emphasizing Punjab government’s ongoing efforts to combat the drug menace and pledge for more aggressive action against drug suppliers in the state.

Taking to the social media platform X, Kejriwal wrote, "Our government in Punjab has launched a strong war against drugs. Now in the next phase, the big drug suppliers will be attacked. Not a single drug dealer or supplier will be spared. During the Congress, Akali Dal and BJP governments, they had defamed Punjab by calling it ‘Udta Punjab’. Now people are coming together to make ‘Badalta Punjab’."

Expressing reservations over the conduct of Punjab Police in an alleged assault case involving Colonel Pushpinder Singh Bath and his son, the Punjab and Haryana High Court on Tuesday questioned the seven-day delay in registering a first information report (FIR).

"Why did you not register the FIR when you learnt of the incident? Why this delay? What is the explanation?" asked Justice Sandeep Moudgil.

The questions came as the court heard a petition filed by Colonel Bath, seeking the transfer of the FIR, dated March 22, registered at Police Station Civil Lines in Patiala, to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) or any independent agency to ensure a free, fair, and impartial investigation.

Mumbai Police on Tuesday issued a summons to stand-up comedian Kunal Kamra to remain present to record his statement in a case registered against him in connection with his controversial statement against Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.

Police sources said that a team from Khar police station delivered the summons at Kamra’s residence in the city where his parents stay. Sources said as the comedian is out of Mumbai, the police have sent summons on his WhatsApp.

Shiv Sena legislator Mangesh Kudalkar on Monday also filed a complaint in the Kurla Nehrunagar police station against Kamra, and urged the police to register a case. Kamra is in Puducherry currently and has told the police that he will fully cooperate with them in the investigation.

Haryana Chief Minister Sh. Nayab Singh Saini directed officials of all the four procurement agencies procuring wheat, mustard, barley, gram, lentil and sunflower for the Rabi marketing season 2025-26 to complete the necessary arrangements in time so that farmers do not face any problem in selling crops in mandis.

This time a bumper production of wheat is expected. Therefore, robust arrangements should be ensured for the purchase of wheat in the mandis, the Chief Minister said, directing the Marketing Board officials to construct large sheds at vacant places in the mandis keeping in mind the future needs.

The Chief Minister was chairing a review meeting in Chandigarh today regarding the preparations for the Rabi procurement marketing season 2025-26.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's visit to the United Kingdom has been rescheduled, and now, she will be leaving from here on Saturday evening.

She is expected to land at London's Heathrow Airport on Sunday afternoon as per the Indian Standard Time (IST), sources in the state secretariat said on Saturday morning. There will be a stopover in Dubai.

According to the original schedule, the Chief Minister and her team were supposed to depart from Kolkata at 9.10 am on Saturday and reach Dubai first. Again from Dubai, she was supposed to take the flight to London on the same day at 8 pm IST.

However, on Friday afternoon, state secretariat insiders said that the Chief Minister's departure might be postponed for two days amid the crisis at Heathrow Airport because of the "significant power shortage" due to a fire in a substation in the western part of the city.

National Convener of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Arvind Kejriwal on Monday said that the state government has resolved a major problem faced by the industrialists from the last 32 years by introducing the One Time Settlement (OTS) scheme.

Haryana's Public Works and Public Health Engineering Minister Sh. Ranbir Gangwa has said that there will be no compromise on quality in government work.

Haryana Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare Minister, Shyam Singh Rana said that India is known for its saints and sages. They have guided us on how to live a meaningful life. 

The Centre on Wednesday informed the Punjab and Haryana High Court that the Member of Parliament from Khadoor Sahib, Amritpal Singh, has been granted a “leave of absence for 54 days” for attending the ongoing session of the Lok Sabha.

Singh, who is currently detained in Assam under the National Security Act (NSA), had approached the court seeking permission to attend parliamentary proceedings, fearing that prolonged absence beyond 60 days could lead to his constituency being declared vacant.

During the hearing, the Division Bench of Chief Justice Sheel Nagu and Justice Sumeet Goel noted that Singh’s concern had been addressed by a letter dated March 11 from the Lok Sabha Secretariat, granting him the leave of absence. “Since the petitioner’s apprehension regarding disqualification from Parliament due to absence stands alleviated, the relief sought is effectively satisfied,” the bench observed.

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MP Malvinder Singh Kang on Tuesday moved an adjournment motion in the Lok Sabha, raising the urgent issue of drug smuggling via drones across the Punjab-Pakistan international border. Stressing the need for collective action, Kang demanded a discussion in Parliament on measures to combat the increasing inflow of drugs and illegal weapons into the state.

Speaking on the motion, Kang said, "While Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann is leading a comprehensive campaign against drugs within the state, it is imperative for the Union Government to step up its efforts to secure the international border. The inflow of drugs and illegal arms through drones is a grave threat to Punjab's youth and national security."

The adjournment motion comes amid the Punjab Government's aggressive crackdown on drug smugglers under the "Yudh Nashian Virudh" campaign, which has resulted in 988 FIRs under the Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act (NDPS) and arrest of 1360 drug traffickers. Additionally, 1035 kg of heroin, opium, and other synthetic drugs have been seized. Approximately 6.81 lakh drug pills and ₹36 lakh in cash have also been recovered.

Fulfilling the ruling BJP’s flagship Assembly election promise, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Saturday approved a scheme for providing Rs 2,500 monthly financial assistance to eligible women under Mahila Samriddhi Yojana and allocated Rs 5,100 crore for this financial year.

The scheme was approved by a Cabinet meeting chaired by CM Gupta and announced by BJP National President J.P. Nadda at an event to mark International Women’s Day at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium.

“I congratulate PM Modi and CM Rekha Gupta that before coming to this event her Cabinet approved the Rs 2,500 per month Mahila Samriddhi Yojana for women in Delhi,” he said.

Delhi Public Works Department (PWD) Minister Parvesh Verma on Wednesday conducted an inspection of cleanliness efforts at several Yamuna ghats across the national capital, covering areas from Signature Bridge, ITO, and Chhath ghat to Okhla Barrage.

Verma took a boat from the Boat Club to Chhath ghat. He also interacted with officials overseeing the cleaning operations and reviewed progress on various sites.

After assuming office on February 25, the 48-year-old Jat leader vowed to restore the Yamuna as a symbol of Delhi's identity, aligning with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision for a cleaner river.

Accusing the previous AAP government of misgovernance, Verma and the BJP have criticised the deteriorating condition of Delhi's infrastructure, including roads, drainage systems, and the Yamuna River.

The Delhi High Court on Tuesday granted bail to Olympian wrestler Sushil Kumar, the prime accused in the murder case of junior national wrestling champion Sagar Dhankar.

As per the bail order passed by a bench of Justice Sanjeev Narula, the murder-accused wrestler will be required to furnish a bail bond of Rs 50,000 and two sureties of like amount.

Sushil Kumar, along with others, is accused of allegedly assaulting former junior national wrestling champion Dhankar, a resident of Haryana's Rohtak, and his two friends Sonu and Amit Kumar in the parking lot of the city's Chhatrasal stadium, on May 4, 2021, over an alleged property dispute. He has been in judicial custody since June 2, 2021. He was earlier granted interim bail, for performing the last rites of his father and for undertaking surgery for his torn ligament.

Hours after talks between the Punjab government led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and farm unions under the umbrella of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) failed, raids were being conducted on Tuesday at residences of farmer leaders, including Joginder Singh Ugrahan.

Some have been detained ahead of a weeklong protest by the farmers, starting in Chandigarh on March 5.

After the meeting, the SKM leaders announced they would go ahead with their call for a massive sit-in protest in Chandigarh.

As a token of some relief to commoners, the Chhattisgarh government slashed Value Added Tax (VAT) on Petrol by Rs 1 per litre. State Finance Minister O.P. Choudhary made the announcement while presenting the state Budget 2025-26 in the Assembly on Monday.

The cut in petrol prices will be effective from April in the state.

The Finance Minister also announced the creation of 3200 Bastar fighters' posts. Bastar fighters combat with Maoists in the state.

Among other announcements, the Finance Minister said that for the first time, a provision has been made in the budget for the procurement of pulses and oil seeds under the PSS Scheme of the Government of India.

The Minister said his government is aiming to provide proper support to tribal art and craft through a proper platform in Chhattisgarh. And the government will establish a National Institute of Fashion Technology in the state.

Two days after Youth Congress activist Himani Narwal's body was found in a suitcase on a highway in Haryana’s Rohtak, the arrested man, Sachin, on Monday confessed that he knew the deceased and accused her of blackmail and extortion.

Haryana Police arrested the accused, a resident of Bahadurgarh, who was in an alleged relationship with Himani.

The suspect confessed to the crime during interrogation, saying they had been in a relationship for some time, a police official said.

During his arrest in Delhi, Sachin was found in possession of Himani Narwal's mobile phone. The crime hogged the limelight after images of her walking with Congress MP Rahul Gandhi during his Bharat Jodo Yatra went viral.

Bangladesh leadership has rejected the idea of a Police Commission, refusing to let go of its control over the law enforcers, local media reported on Monday.

Ignoring calls for holding police accountable through a separate commission, the Home Ministry of the South Asian nation rejected the idea of a Police Commission, reports.

Refusing to let go of its control over the police, the home ministry stated that the formation of an independent body, as the Police Reform Commission recommends, is unnecessary because the ministry is already doing what an independent body would be doing.

It claimed that the current laws, which are from the colonial era, are good enough, and there is no need for amendments.

Former South Korean President Park Geun-hye called on Monday for the ruling People Power Party (PPP) to stay united and fulfill its responsibilities despite challenges from the Opposition-controlled political landscape.

Park made the remarks during a meeting with the PPP leadership at her home in the southeastern city of Daegu, expressing "deep concern" over the impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol, according to party officials.

The visit by the top PPP members, including Kwon Young-se, chief of the party's emergency steering committee, and its floor leader Kweon Seong-dong, came as the Constitutional Court is expected to deliver its final ruling on Yoon's impeachment over his December 3 martial law attempt later this month.

If upheld, Yoon will be removed from office, and a snap presidential election will be held within 60 days.

"She said that although there may be many difficult battles against the Opposition, as the ruling party, it must uphold its duties," Shin said.

During Lt. Governor Manoj Sinha’s address in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly on Monday, the lone Awami Ittehad Party (AIP) MLA, Sheikh Khursheed Ahmad, staged a protest in the central hall.

As the Lt. Governor started delivering his address, holding a placard, AIP MLA Sheikh Khursheed vocally opposed several policies of the administration and demanded justice for the victims of recent killings in Baramulla and Kathua.

He also demanded the restoration of Articles 370 and 35A, arguing that their abrogation had stripped Jammu and Kashmir of its special status and rights.

Ahmad called for the release of all political prisoners and said that detaining leaders, activists and youth without trial was undemocratic.

The Nitish Kumar government is set to present the Bihar Budget 2025-26 on Monday, with Deputy Chief Minister and Finance Minister Samrat Choudhary tabling it in the Assembly.

This will be the government's last budget before the upcoming Assembly elections in Bihar.

The state government is likely to focus on key voter groups: women, farmers, and youth and is expected to include special schemes targeting rural areas, the unemployed, and the economically weaker sections. New programmes for self-help groups, subsidies for entrepreneurs, direct benefit transfers, special incentives for irrigation, crop insurance, input subsidies, subsidies for industrial investment to address rising unemployment, expansion of rural roads, housing projects, and electrification would be the key highlights of this budget.

The Nitish Kumar government is expected to give special focus on education and youth to increase scholarships, skill development programmes, and job-oriented training.

With Bihar heading towards Assembly elections, this budget could see populist measures aimed at boosting the NDA’s appeal.

Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Sunday unequivocally said that gangsters, smugglers, criminals and other anti-social elements have no place on the sacred land of Punjab and they will soon be wiped out from the state.

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Sunday handed over cheques of financial assistance worth Rs 1 crore (each) to the family members of five cops who were martyred during the line of duty.

Haryana Chief Electoral Officer, Sh. Pankaj Agarwal, will chair a meeting with representatives of political parties on March 1, 2025, at 11:00 AM in Sector 17, Chandigarh regarding the appointment of Booth Level Agents.