Rupnagar, Aug. 18 -- Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Monday launched a sharp attack on Shiromani Akali Dal leader Sukhbir Singh Badal, challenging him to take responsibility for the Bargari firing incidents as well as the thousands of drug-related deaths that occurred during the Akali regime, instead of boasting about "false achievements."

Speaking after dedicating several development projects to the people of Chamkaur Sahib constituency, Mann said, "Sukhbir Badal often claims large-scale development during his tenure, but when the issues of Bargari firing or the drug epidemic are raised, he goes silent. Drugs have wiped out an entire generation of Punjab's youth, and that is the real picture of the Akali misrule."

Accusing...