Punjab Drug War Takes Centre Stage as BJP, AAP Step Up Outreach
Bhagwant Mann takes the government’s anti-drug and governance record to households as the BJP’s statewide campaign gains momentum
- BJP’s 13-day Nasha Mukt Punjab Yatra is covering all 117 Assembly constituencies.
- Bhagwant Mann has begun a door-to-door campaign from Dhuri to highlight the government’s record.
- Punjab government cites 61,824 FIRs and 81,433 arrests between March 2025 and September 2026.
- Anti-drug efforts include enforcement, school programmes, village vigilance and rehabilitation.
GG News Bureau
Chandigarh, 21st Sept: The political focus on Punjab’s drug problem has intensified ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections, with the BJP taking its statewide “Nasha Mukt Punjab Yatra” to the ground while the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government has begun a door-to-door outreach campaign led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann.
The BJP’s 13-day campaign, launched on September 18, is planned to cover all 117 Assembly constituencies and around 4,000 km before culminating in Jalandhar on September 30. The party has said the campaign is focused on the drug menace, law and order and corruption.
In response, the Mann government is taking its “Yudh Nashean Virudh” campaign and wider governance record directly to households. Mann’s door-to-door campaign began from Dhuri, with the government highlighting its enforcement measures as well as prevention, community participation and rehabilitation initiatives.
Government cites enforcement figures
According to figures released by the Punjab government, the Anti-Narcotics Task Force registered 61,824 FIRs and arrested 81,433 people between March 2025 and September 2026.
The government also reported seizures of 3,918 kg of heroin, 991 kg of opium, 47 tonnes of poppy husk, 1,416 kg of ganja and 65 lakh tablets and capsules during the period.
The state’s strategy combines police enforcement with prevention and treatment. A 14-week anti-drug curriculum is reportedly being taught to around 7.5 lakh students across 3,600 schools, while teachers are being trained to identify early signs of substance abuse.
Village vigilance and rehabilitation
The government has also cited nearly 15,000 Village and Ward Defence Committees, with around 1.25 lakh members, as part of its community-based response.
According to government figures, more than 51,000 citizen tip-offs received through the Safe Punjab WhatsApp Helpline have contributed to over 25,000 drug-related arrests. The state has also expanded treatment infrastructure through OOAT, de-addiction and rehabilitation centres.
The BJP, meanwhile, has framed its statewide yatra as a campaign against drug abuse, with its leaders arguing that the issue requires broader public mobilisation. The party’s campaign is scheduled to conclude with a rally in Jalandhar on September 30.
The competing campaigns have placed the drug issue prominently in Punjab’s political discourse as parties prepare for the next Assembly election. The claims and counterclaims over the effectiveness of existing measures are likely to remain a central part of the political debate in the state.
