AAP MLA Kunwar Vijay Partap Slams Own Government Over Majitha Hooch Tragedy

• May 15, 2025

Amritsar, Punjab – In the wake of the Majitha hooch tragedy that claimed 24 lives, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA from Amritsar North, Kunwar Vijay Partap Singh, launched a scathing attack on his own party’s government, accusing it of failing to dismantle the entrenched nexus between politicians, police, and the liquor mafia.

Drawing a sharp comparison with the 2020 hooch disaster during the Congress regime under then Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh — which resulted in over 120 deaths — Kunwar reminded Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann of his own past statements. “At that time, Mann demanded that a murder case be filed against the then CM. He must now live up to his own words,” Kunwar said, claiming to have documentary evidence of Mann’s statement.

Highlighting the persistence of the illicit liquor trade, Kunwar also referenced a similar incident in March 2024 in Sangrur — Mann’s home district — where around 20 people died after consuming spurious alcohol. He noted that in both the Sangrur and Majitha cases, the accused remain under trial.

Kunwar recently visited Bhangali village in the Majitha area of Amritsar district, where the latest tragedy unfolded. Dozens remain hospitalized after consuming toxic liquor. He criticized the government's response, arguing that suspending lower-level officers such as SHOs and DSPs amounts to nothing more than a token gesture.

“The action must go up to the DIG level. The same officer, now DIG, was previously SSP (Rural), under whose watch both the liquor and sand mafias thrived. These suspensions are eyewash — after some time, these officers return to the same posts and continue supporting the mafia,” he alleged.

He also ridiculed the government’s gesture of handing out compensation cheques to victims' families. “That’s not justice. That’s damage control,” he remarked.

Kunwar, once a high-profile face of AAP during the 2022 Punjab election campaign, recalled how AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal had praised his induction into the party. “Kejriwal had said that with officers like me in the party, there would be no room for mafias or gangsters. But today, the mafia-police nexus has not only survived but is thriving under government protection,” he said.

Calling for accountability and systemic change, Kunwar urged the Speaker to convene a special session of the Punjab Vidhan Sabha to address the issue comprehensively. “The need of the hour is serious introspection. We must identify the root causes and bust this politico-police-mafia nexus once and for all,” he concluded.