At a public event in Sangrur's Tolewal village, Punjab Minister and AAP state chief Aman Arora was confronted by a local youth, Nihang Gurpreet Singh, a Tolewal resident, who accused him of ignoring the ongoing sale of chitta (heroin) and rising thefts in the area.
Singh openly challenged Arora to address these issues in front of villagers, with another resident backing him up.
In response, Arora asked police officials to investigate the allegations.
Opposition slams AAP over drugs
The incident quickly turned political, with opposition leaders slamming the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government for not tackling drug problems.
Shiromani Akali Dal's Sukhbir Badal pointed out that drug sales continue even near Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann's hometown.
Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Saini also remarked that it had become difficult for the party's ministers to enter villages in Punjab, raising fresh questions about AAP's record ahead of next year's elections.