Amit Shah in Jalandhar vows to make Punjab drug-free by Dec 2029, says ‘AAP Govt allowed Chitta trade to flourish openly’
Jalandhar (Punjab), September 30, 2026 (ANI):
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday vowed to make Punjab drug-free by December 31, 2029, and appealed to the people of the state to give the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) “one chance” to eradicate the drug menace.
Addressing the concluding rally of the BJP’s 13-day ‘Nasha Mukt Punjab Yatra’ in Jalandhar, Shah said, “Give us one chance and we will make Punjab free from chitta by 2029.” He also appealed to the mothers and sisters of Punjab to support the campaign, saying the “roots of the drug menace” would be uprooted.
Shah said Punjab had made significant contributions to the country’s food security and national defence. He paid tribute to the mothers of Punjab who, he said, had raised sons who made sacrifices in defence of the country.
Targeting the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government, Shah alleged that the “chitta” trade had been allowed to flourish openly in Punjab because of the government’s failures. He said that while the state faced several issues, including agriculture, industry, law and order and women’s safety, the BJP would make the issue of a drug-free Punjab a central electoral issue.
Referring to the BJP’s anti-drug campaign, Shah said the 13-day yatra was an initiative to bring Punjab’s youth out of drug addiction. The four yatras covered all 117 Assembly constituencies and nearly 4,000 km before culminating in Jalandhar.
Shah said the BJP had fulfilled promises made under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership and described making Punjab drug-free as its next major resolve. He questioned why strict action against drugs could not be taken in Punjab if it could be undertaken elsewhere in the country.
Sharing his interactions with drug-affected families, Shah said he had met parents who had lost their young sons to drugs. He said some mothers had appealed that although their own children could not be saved, other children should be protected from addiction.
Shah also accused the AAP government of failing to fulfil its promises and alleged corruption in several areas, referring to what he described as the media advertisement, Smart City, truck union and “Panjiri” scams. He further alleged that the government had failed to deliver on claims relating to village clinics and medical colleges and said promises concerning minimum support price (MSP) for farmers had also remained unfulfilled.
Taking aim at Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, Shah alleged that the drug trade had increased during the AAP government’s tenure.
“Our resolve is that we will not allow even a gram of drugs to be sold in Punjab, nor will we allow drugs to move from Punjab to other parts of the country,” Shah said. He described the campaign as an effort to protect Punjab’s youth and future.
Shah concluded by appealing to the mothers, sisters, daughters and youth of Punjab to support the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the fight against drugs. He said the drug menace would be eliminated from Punjab in the same manner that the Centre had tackled terrorism and left-wing extremism.
The rally marked the culmination of the BJP’s statewide ‘Nasha Mukt Punjab Yatra’, which began on September 18 and was positioned by the party as a major campaign issue ahead of the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections.