Amit Shah accuses CM Mann of not holding a single NCORD meeting to tackle drugs in Punjab; Watch Video
Babushahi Bureau
Ludhiana (Punjab), October 20, 2026: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday accused Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann of failing to hold even a single meeting of the Narco-Coordination Centre (NCORD) at the state level, questioning the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government’s seriousness in tackling drug trafficking.
Addressing an event in Ludhiana, Shah said NCORD meetings were being held at the national and state levels to coordinate efforts against narcotics, with the Union Home Minister chairing meetings at the national level and chief ministers presiding over them at the state level.
“Across the country, 48 such meetings have taken place—I have personally chaired three of them. I ask the Chief Minister of Punjab: how many meetings have you chaired? You haven’t held a single one,” Shah said.
Targeting Mann over the alleged lack of coordination, Shah questioned the state government’s commitment and capacity to address the drug menace.
“It is clear that you have neither the intention nor the seriousness—nor, frankly, the competence—to address this. I am fully convinced that you are incapable of handling it,” the Union Home Minister said.
NCORD, or the Narco-Coordination Centre, is a mechanism intended to strengthen coordination among central and state agencies involved in combating drug trafficking and narcotics-related offences.
Shah’s remarks came during his Punjab visit, in which he also raised concerns about the drug trade, met families affected by drug-related violence and called for investigations by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into cases involving people who had opposed drugs.
The Union Home Minister has set December 31, 2029, as the target for making Punjab free of the drug trade, while accusing the state government of failing to take adequate action against the menace.
The claim that Punjab had not held any state-level NCORD meetings was made by Shah at the event. The state government’s response to the allegation was not available in the material provided.