Punjab Minister Harpal Singh Cheema unleashed a fiery rebuttal on Friday against BJP MP Kangana Ranaut’s claims that drugs from Punjab are devastating Himachal Pradesh’s youth. Speaking in Chandigarh, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader called Ranaut’s remarks “absurd” and accused her of chasing headlines without understanding the issue.

Cheema challenged the Mandi MP’s silence on the drug problem in BJP-ruled states like Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan, as well as Congress-ruled Himachal, alleging Gujarat is a major drug entry point.

Ranaut, speaking outside Parliament, warned that Himachal risks becoming like Punjab’s drug-ravaged villages, citing youth addiction and desperate behaviors. She echoed Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla’s call for urgent action to prevent Himachal from turning into “Udta Punjab,” referencing the 2016 film on Punjab’s drug crisis.

Cheema, however, insisted Punjab is actively fighting the drug menace, dismissing Ranaut’s narrative as baseless and inflammatory.

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