CM Mann takes on Sukhbir Badal: “We don’t give tickets to gangsters or shield them’

Chandigarh, March 16, 2026:Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann strongly criticized Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Sukhbir Singh Badal and Congress MP Sukhjinder Randhawa over the issue of gangster politics, asserting that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government does not protect criminals but instead ensures they face the law.

Commenting on Badal’s recent statement urging gangsters to leave Punjab, Mann said, “Sukhbir Badal essentially means ‘run away, or I will give you election tickets and get your bail forfeited.’ Our approach is completely opposite. We neither give tickets to criminals nor appoint their relatives to any official positions—a tradition followed by previous governments.”

The Chief Minister further accused Randhawa of acting as a “frontman for gangsters,” highlighting that individuals who have repeatedly misbehaved in Parliament are now trying to lecture the state on law and parliamentary decorum.

Mann emphasized that Punjab’s gangster culture grew under the patronage of previous governments that allowed criminals to thrive politically. “Our government is tough on crime,” he said. “Instead of using gangsters for votes, we are bringing them to justice. Those who once enjoyed life in jail under earlier regimes are now facing accountability.”