Chandigarh: In a calibrated political counterattack on the Congress over allegations of deteriorating law and order, Haryana CM Nayab Singh Saini on Thursday presented comparative crime data in the Assembly to argue that the state has become safer under the BJP’s 11-year rule, a message that also carries clear electoral undertones for neighbouring Punjab, which heads to polls next year.
Saini’s presentation was positioned as a rebuttal to the Opposition’s charge of rising crime. But beyond the Assembly floor, the data-driven defence appeared designed to reinforce a broader political narrative – that BJP-governed states ensure stronger law enforcement, faster convictions and firmer action against organised crime.
Emphasising on slower crime growth under BJP, CM contrasted trends from 2004–2014, when Congress was in power, with figures from 2014–2025 under BJP governments. According to the data he cited, murder cases grew annually at 3.81% during the Congress decade, but the annual increase reduced to 1.75% after 2014. Rioting cases rose at 9.74% annually between 2004 and 2014, compared to 2.41% annually during the BJP period. “These numbers reflect systemic correction and preventive policing,” Saini asserted, arguing that the pace of crime has slowed and enforcement has strengthened.
He further highlighted that Haryana ranks second nationally in fully implementing the new criminal laws, with a 74.13% conviction rate in cases registered after July 1, 2024 — a figure he described as evidence of scientific investigation, tighter prosecution and improved accountability.
Anti-drug drive doubles as political signal beyond Haryana. The strongest political messaging came through the government’s crackdown on narcotics — an issue that resonates deeply in Punjab’s political discourse. Saini detailed that properties worth ₹53 crore belonging to drug traffickers have been seized, 111 illegal properties have been demolished, nearly 26,000 drug offenders have been jailed in five years, about 5,000 arrests were made last year alone, including 1,000 major traffickers. The conviction rate in NDPS cases has improved from 48% to 54%, while arrests in commercial-quantity cases rose 69% in 2024, he said. With 3,350 villages and 876 wards declared drug-free, Saini framed Haryana’s anti-drug campaign as both a law-and-order reform and a social movement.
Though Saini did not directly refer to Punjab’s upcoming election, political observers say the timing and framing of the data send a broader regional signal. Punjab has grappled with the drug menace as a central electoral issue for years. By foregrounding seizure figures, conviction rates and property demolitions, Haryana’s BJP leadership appears keen to project a governance contrast — positioning itself as uncompromising on crime and narcotics. The emphasis on inter-state coordination, including information-sharing with Punjab and other northern states, further underlines the regional dimension of the message.
Beyond the political sparring, Saini credited ₹300 crore spent on police modernisation, recruitment of 5,500 personnel, faster FSL reporting and a Dial 112 response time of 9 minutes and 44 seconds as structural reforms driving the results. Conviction rates in under-trial cases have also risen from 41% to 54%, he noted.
In effect, the CM’s Assembly address served a dual purpose: countering Congress’ allegations at home and reinforcing the BJP’s broader political pitch in the region — that under its rule, governance is stricter, systems are sharper and citizens are safer.
With Punjab’s electoral battle on the horizon, Haryana’s crime statistics may well become part of a larger narrative war beyond state borders.
