Channi, Randhawa question Centre’s role in Punjab drug fight, raise LPU unrest
Babushahi Bureau
Chandigarh, September 29, 2026: Former Punjab Chief Minister and Congress MP Charanjit Singh Channi on Tuesday questioned Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s anti-drug campaign in Punjab, asking what action the Centre had taken to stop narcotics from entering the state.
Reacting to Shah’s upcoming Jalandhar rally and the BJP’s ongoing ‘Nasha Mukt Punjab Yatra’, Channi said the Centre should explain why the drug problem had not been eliminated despite the security responsibilities and resources available to it.
Channi also questioned the public response to the BJP’s campaign, saying that the programme was a yatra rather than a conventional rally and alleging that it had failed to draw significant public participation. The BJP’s anti-drug yatra is scheduled to culminate in Jalandhar on September 30 with a rally addressed by Shah.
On the recent unrest at Lovely Professional University (LPU) in Phagwara, Channi said the demands of students should be addressed and called for an inquiry into the incident.
“If Ashok Mittal leaves the AAP, will government goons do this work?” Channi asked, alleging that the incident was linked to political considerations. His remarks were made in the context of the recent protests and violence at LPU, which are already being investigated by authorities.
Randhawa Questions Centre, Punjab Government Over Drugs
Congress MP and former Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa also criticised both the Centre and the Punjab government over the drug situation.
Referring to the Centre’s role in Punjab’s border security, Randhawa said the Union government had substantial responsibility for preventing drugs from entering the state. He alleged that both governments had failed to stop drug trafficking effectively.
Randhawa claimed that he had previously met Amit Shah and provided information, including phone numbers, related to alleged drug networks. He also alleged that people operating from prisons in Assam and Gujarat continued to run their networks.
Randhawa further claimed that some individuals had been arrested in the United States in connection with drug-related activities, while action had not been taken against their alleged associates in Punjab. Earlier this month, he had also said that he had sent several letters to Shah regarding drugs, gangsterism and security concerns in Punjab.
Calling the BJP’s anti-drug campaign ineffective, Randhawa questioned what concrete measures had been taken to curb the supply of narcotics into Punjab.
He also criticised the handling of the LPU controversy, saying the issue was not limited to LPU and referring to the recent unrest at Chitkara University as well. He questioned the manner in which the Punjab government handled both incidents.
The LPU protests erupted after social-media claims concerning a female student and later escalated into violence, property damage and a highway blockade. Police have formed a Special Investigation Team to investigate the incident, while LPU has denied the alleged sexual assault that triggered the unrest.