From political assassinations to gang wars, narco terrorism to rise of Khalistani separatism – Is Punjab sinking into lawlessness under AAP rule?

On 4th January, Marigold Marriage Palace in Amritsar became a crime scene when Aam Aadmi Party’s sarpanch Jarmal Singh was assassinated in broad daylight. A chilling CCTV footage of the incident showed two suited gunmen strolling into the wedding. They approached the 50-year-old village leader and fired a single point-blank shot to his head. The scene turned into chaos as the guests dived for cover and the shooters conveniently slipped away unchallenged. Hours later, a social media post, allegedly by gangster Prabh, claimed responsibility for the murder. Punjab is not unfamiliar with violence. However, this execution-style murder of a ruling party local leader, that too in broad daylight, has sent shockwaves throughout Punjab. In a statement on social media, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal condemned the incident and accused the Chief Minister of Punjab, Bhagwant Mann, of policing failure in the state. Notably, CM Mann also holds the state’s Home Ministry. Strongly condemn the cold-blooded murder of Sarpanch Jarmal Singh of Valtoha village (Tarn Taran), who was shot dead at a wedding function in Amritsar today.This follows an extremely worrisome pattern: yesterday, a young man was gunned down in Bhinder Kalan (Moga) and on Friday… pic.twitter.com/nt01hEeQAn— Sukhbir Singh Badal (@officeofssbadal) January 4, 2026 In another post on X, Badal listed four murders that have happened in Punjab in the first six days of 2026. In the post, he mentioned that a woman was murdered in Kapurthala on 2nd January, a man was shot dead in Bhinder Kalan of Moga, and a Kabaddi player, Gagandeep, was killed at Manuke village in Jagraon, apart from the sarpanch’s murder. Source: X In a post on X, Bharatiya Janata Party (Punjab) said there is no “law and order” in the state. “It is a reign of Gundaraj”, the party said. ਵਿਆਹ ਸਮਾਗਮ ‘ਚ ਦਿਨ ਦਿਹਾੜੇ ਵਲਟੋਹਾ ਸੰਧੂਆਂ ਤੋਂ AAP ਸਰਪੰਚ ਜਰਮਲ ਸਿੰਘ ਨੂੰ ਗੋਲੀਆਂ ਨਾਲ ਮਾਰ ਦਿੱਤਾ ਗਿਆ- ਕੀ ਇਹੀ ਹੈ AAP ਦੇ ਰਾਜ ‘ਚ ਪੰਜਾਬ ਦੀ ਕਾਨੂੰਨ-ਵਿਵਸਥਾ !AAP ਪਾਰਟੀ ਜੋ ਪੰਜਾਬ ਨੂੰ ਸੁਰੱਖਿਅਤ ਰੱਖਣ ਦੇ ਝੂਠੇ ਦਾਅਵੇ ਕਰਦੀ ਹੈ, ਅੱਜ ਹਾਲਾਤ ਇਹ ਹਨ ਕੀ ਉਸਦੇ ਆਪਣੇ ਆਗੂ ਹੀ ਸੁਰੱਖਿਅਤ ਨਹੀਂ ਹਨ ਇਹ “ਬਦਲਾਅ”… pic.twitter.com/cXRR1Q6TFW— BJP PUNJAB (@BJP4Punjab) January 4, 2026 Political killings in broad daylight The murder of the sarpanch was not an isolated incident. It is one of a series of political murders that have rocked Punjab in recent months. In fact, barely 48 hours before the murder of the sarpanch, Congress leader Umarsir Singh was riddled with bullets in Moga. The attackers were allegedly linked to a local rivalry involving an AAP functionary, which raised serious concerns. These back-to-back political assassinations, one from the ruling party and one from the opposition, shed light on an uncomfortable reality – that no one, either from the ruling party or the opposition, is safe in the state. Speaking on the matter, senior Congress MLA and former minister Pargat Singh pointed towards an “unchecked surge” in such cases of violence. He warned, “Punjab has never witnessed such lawlessness in recent years.” He and others in the opposition have demanded CM Mann’s resignation, calling the situation “completely out of the government’s hands”. It has to be noted that these political murders were carried out in broad daylight, in public view. It was evident from the CCTV footage of the sarpanch’s murder that the murderers were scarcely concerned about police response. In the case of Umarsir as well, the gunmen escaped easily. Congress MLA Gurjit Aujla slammed the AAP government for “failing to maintain law and order” and noted how even local disputes now routinely escalate into lethal violence. This is not the first time Punjab has witnessed such high-profile bloodshed under AAP government. The assassination of internationally renowned yet controversial singer and Congress leader Sidhu Moose Wala in 2022 was an early warning of the state’s descent into gang-fuelled violence. Carried out in broad daylight with military-grade weapons, the murder was later linked to gang rivalries and exposed the dangerous nexus between organised crime and political circles. What followed was a series of violent episodes that only grew in frequency and boldness. Extortion, gangs and sports turf wars Beyond politics, organised crime networks have turned the state into their playground and battleground. Opposition leader Partap Singh Bajwa noted, “Getting extortion calls from gangsters has become the norm in the state.” He argued that the people of Punjab are not safe from this climate of fear. He alleged that gang lords operate freely, and went on to claim that the administration has effectively ceded its authority in the hinterland. SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal likewise described a “prevailing jungle raj”, where “businessmen, doctors, artists, and athletes are facing grave threats from extortionists” and violent retribution is routine. The collapse of law and order in the state is such that