Punjab Police Brought 17 Gangsters From Abroad In Past 6 Months: AAP

With the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections approaching and speculation gaining momentum over a possible BJP-Akali Dal alliance, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government has stepped up its political offensive on the issue of gangsters and organised crime.Cabinet Minister and senior AAP leader Harpal Singh Cheema on Monday claimed that Punjab Police had brought back 17 gangsters from foreign countries over the past six months, asserting that the state government had sent out a strong message that criminals could no longer evade the law by escaping abroad.Projecting the action as a major success of the government's 'Gangstran Te Vaar' campaign, Cheema said the police had conducted 1,61,266 raids between January 20 and November 7 and arrested around 2,162 proclaimed offenders (POs).According to Cheema, several wanted gangsters have been brought back to India from different countries as part of coordinated international operations. Those named include Ramanjit Singh Romi from Hong Kong, Amrit Singh from the Maldives, Prabhpreet Singh from Germany, Parminder Singh Pindi from the UAE, Sajjan Mahesh and Sukhdev Kumar alias Manish Baidi from Indonesia, Ajay Singh, Pawandeep Singh and Jaspreet Singh from Malaysia, and Karmbir Singh Deol from Canada."These operations demonstrate the determination and capabilities of our police force in pursuing criminals beyond geographical boundaries," Cheema said, adding that the government would ensure strong evidence was presented before courts to secure convictions.However, beyond the police figures and claims of international coordination, Cheema's statement also carried a clear political message, with AAP directly targeting its traditional rivals over the gangster culture in Punjab.The minister alleged that gangsters were "created and nurtured during the Akali-BJP rule and allowed to flourish under the Congress", accusing the previous governments of failing to tackle organised crime effectively.The political timing of the attack is significant. With Punjab heading towards the 2027 Assembly elections, the possibility of a renewed BJP-Akali Dal alliance has triggered fresh political calculations. AAP appears keen to remind voters of the previous SAD-BJP government's record while attempting to put the opposition on the defensive over law and order.By drawing a direct comparison between the previous regimes and its own action against gangsters, the ruling party is seeking to establish a narrative that its government is not merely making promises but pursuing criminals, including those operating from foreign countries.The gangster issue has remained one of Punjab's most politically sensitive concerns, particularly amid continuing incidents of targeted killings, extortion calls, shootings and the alleged use of overseas-based gang networks to operate in the state.For AAP, the recovery and deportation of wanted criminals has therefore become an important part of its governance pitch ahead of the elections. The government wants to project the 'Gangstran Te Vaar' campaign as evidence of its resolve to dismantle organised criminal networks."Our objective is clear: to make Punjab a gangster-free state," Cheema said.The challenge for the Mann government, however, will be to translate these high-profile operations and arrest figures into a broader perception of improved law and order on the ground. As the 2027 electoral battle approaches, the fight against gangsters is increasingly emerging not just as a policing priority but also as a political battleground between AAP and the opposition.