BJP queries AAP over its claim to make Punjab free of drugs

“The unabated sale of drugs in every corner of Punjab, in its villages and cities, is a testimony to the fact that the promise of Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and Aam Aadmi Party’s national president Arvind Kejriwal, to make Punjab drug-free by May 31, has completely failed.” Former Punjab BJP president and ex-MP Shwait Malik stated this at a press conference held in Jalandhar today.

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Terming the scenario as unfortunate, Malik said the “Yudh Nasheyan Virudh” campaign seems like the state government’s attempt to redeem its vote bank ahead of the Ludhiana West bypoll. However, CM Bhagwant Mann could not even fulfill his fifth deadline to make the state drug-free as the CM, he added.

During the press conference, Malik was accompanied by former minister Manoranjan Kalia, state BJP general secretary Rakesh Rathore, former MLA Sheetal Angural, Jagbir Brar, leader of the Opposition (BJP) in Jalandhar Municipal Corporation, Manjit Singh Titu, general secretary, Ashok Sarin Hickey, Rajesh Kapoor and Amarjit Singh Goldi, among others.

Malik said lack of government action against big drug smugglers in the state has raised doubts.

Commenting on the CM’s promises and timeline to make Punjab drug-free, Shwait Malik said Arvind Kejriwal and Bhagwant Maan had repeatedly claimed before the Punjab assembly elections, from 2020 to 2022, that they would eliminate drugs from Punjab in a month, once the government was formed. But the first deadline of April 16, 2022 for Mann who was sworn in as Chief Minister on March 16, 2022, had passed without any change.

Similarly, subsequent deadlines — the fifth deadline being until May 31, 2025 — to eradicate drugs, had also passed without any change on the ground, Malik added.

“Everyone knows that the drug supply chain was broken during the coronavirus pandemic, due to which huge queues formed outside drug de-addiction centres in every district. But during the war against drugs launched on March 1, 2025, there were no such queues outside de-addiction centres. This clearly means that the Punjab government’s campaign was limited to advertisements, programmes and news only and a false political stunt, as no drug supply chain was broken.”

He said when Mann and Kejriwal were not in power, they used to say, “Akali and Congress leaders in power sell drugs.” If the same formula is applied today, then why are the CM, ministers, MLAs and AAP leaders silent about drugs and traffickers, he asked.