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BJP and AAP Clash Over Punjab’s Drug Crisis
The BJP started a journey across Punjab to protest against illegal drugs.
The party says it wants to make Punjab free of drugs.
Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann says the BJP should first explain what happened when it shared power with the Shiromani Akali Dal.
BJP leaders say the AAP government promised to end the drug problem quickly but missed its deadlines.
They also accuse the Punjab government of protecting suppliers and troubling people who report drugs.
AAP leaders say drugs also enter through places such as Gujarat and that the central government must act.
Congress leader Amrinder Singh Raja Warring blamed Union Home Minister Amit Shah for border smuggling.
Some people protested against the BJP’s campaign, while affected families described the damage caused by addiction.
The political parties disagree about who is responsible, but families want drug supplies stopped.
The BJP launched a 13-day Nasha Mukt Punjab Yatra covering nearly 4,000 km across Punjab.
Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann accused the BJP and Shiromani Akali Dal of worsening the drug problem during their 2007–2017 alliance.
The BJP responded that AAP leaders repeatedly missed deadlines to eradicate illegal drugs from Punjab.
BJP leaders said the campaign was a social cause, while AAP and Congress leaders called for accountability over drug smuggling and past governance.
The yatra faced protests, black flags, poster opposition and an alleged attack involving eggs and tomatoes thrown at a convoy.
- Who
- The Bharatiya Janata Party, the Aam Aadmi Party government led by Bhagwant Mann, the Congress and affected Punjab families are involved.
- What
- The BJP launched the Nasha Mukt Punjab Yatra, prompting accusations over responsibility for Punjab’s illegal-drug crisis.
- Where
- The campaign is travelling across Punjab, beginning in Pathankot and covering nearly 4,000 kilometres before converging in Jalandhar.
- When
- The 13-day campaign began on Friday and is scheduled to conclude in Jalandhar on September 30.
- Why
- The BJP says the yatra seeks to stop drug addiction and supplies, while rival parties view it as a political attack and question the BJP’s record.
AAP and Congress criticisms
BJP’s defense and accusations
Responsibility for Punjab’s drug crisis
AAP and Congress criticisms
Bhagwant Mann and Aman Arora blamed the BJP’s former alliance with the Shiromani Akali Dal and questioned its record in Punjab. Congress leader Amrinder Singh Raja Warring also held the central government responsible for smuggling through Punjab’s borders.
BJP’s defense and accusations
The BJP said the AAP government had promised to eradicate drugs within a short period but repeatedly extended deadlines without solving the problem.
Drug supply routes and enforcement
AAP and Congress criticisms
Mann said the BJP should address drug supplies in BJP-ruled Rajasthan, Gujarat and Delhi, including seizures at Gujarat’s Mundra port.
BJP’s defense and accusations
BJP leaders argued that enforcement agencies seize drugs at Mundra port and that the problem has not reached Gujarat households in the same way as Punjab. They accused the Punjab government of protecting suppliers and harassing informers.
Purpose of the yatra
AAP and Congress criticisms
AAP leaders and opponents portrayed the campaign as a political offensive focused on the current government while overlooking the role of previous Punjab administrations.
BJP’s defense and accusations
BJP leaders described the yatra as a social cause, said protests were linked to supporters of the drug mafia and vowed to continue despite disruptions.
Key facts
- Campaign name
- Nasha Mukt Punjab Yatra
- Campaign duration
- 13 days
- Route coverage
- Nearly 4,000 kilometres and most Punjab Assembly constituencies
- Launch location
- Pathankot
- Planned culmination
- Jalandhar on September 30
- Reported substance-abuse estimate
- A Parliamentary Standing Committee estimate cited over 66 lakh affected people in Punjab, including 7 lakh children aged 10–17
- Reported disruption
- Ravneet Singh Bittu alleged that eggs and tomatoes were thrown at his convoy near Batala
Quotes
Kewal Singh Dhillon
Punjab BJP state president
“At the Mundra port or in Rajasthan, the DRI (Directorate of Revenue Intelligence) is there to seize the stuff, but drugs haven’t reached the households of Gujarat like in Punjab.”
indianexpress.com
“I have met the families in Fazilka and was pained to see their grief. They want drug supplies to be stopped in Punjab. However, rivals are looking at it with a political lens.”
indianexpress.com
Sources
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