States » NorthPosted at: Sep 18 2026 7:22PM


BJP launches ‘Nasha Mukt Punjab Yatra’; Nitin Nabin targets AAP over drugs, vows mass campaign

Neeraj Bali
Chandigarh, Sep 18 (UNI) Bharatiya Janata Party national president Nitin Nabin on Friday launched the party’s first “Nasha Mukt Punjab Yatra” from Madhopur in Pathankot district, stepping up the BJP’s campaign over drug abuse ahead of the 2027 Punjab assembly election.
The campaign, being held under the slogan “Bhajpa da naara, nasha mukauna saara”, will comprise four yatras covering nearly 4,000 km across all 117 assembly constituencies over 13 days. The yatras are scheduled to converge in Jalandhar on Sept. 30, where union Home Minister Amit Shah is due to address a concluding rally.
Addressing the gathering at Ekta Sthal, Nabin said Punjab should move beyond its association with the phrase “Udta Punjab” and reclaim an identity built around its heritage and youth.
“Punjab does not want an ‘Udta Punjab’; Punjabis want an ‘Ubhar da Punjab’ a Punjab that rises,” Nabin said, according to the party statement.
He accused the ruling Aam Aadmi Party government of failing to dismantle drug networks and alleged that people speaking out against the narcotics problem were being intimidated. AAP has separately defended its anti-drug campaign and accused rival parties of politicising the issue.
Nabin said the BJP’s strategy would focus on targeting traffickers, disrupting supply networks, confiscating proceeds from the drug trade, rehabilitating people suffering from addiction and involving communities in prevention efforts.
“Drugs cannot be Punjab’s identity or its strength. Punjab should be known for the teachings of its Gurus, the sweat of its farmers and the spirit of its sportspersons,” Nabin said.
He said the four yatras would seek public participation, hold interactions with residents and bring social organisations into the campaign.
Nabin also sharply criticised the AAP government, alleging that its “war against drugs” had failed to address the underlying trafficking networks. His claims about political links to drug traffickers were not accompanied by evidence in the statement.
Punjab BJP president Kewal Singh Dhillon said the party would take its campaign door-to-door across all 117 constituencies.
“This is not merely a political rally. We have come to share the pain of Punjab’s mothers and sisters. This has to become a people’s movement,” Dhillon said.
Dhillon said the BJP believed the drug problem could be tackled within two years through a sustained campaign. He had earlier said that Home Minister Shah, during a visit to Moga, had spoken of a two-year timeframe to address Punjab’s drug menace.
Dhillon also aimed at the state government, saying, “Pizza delivery may be late in Punjab, but the delivery of ‘chitta’ is not.” The remark was a political allegation aimed at highlighting what the BJP says is the easy availability of narcotics in the state.
The launch came on a day when BJP leader and former union Minister Ravneet Singh Bittu alleged that his convoy was attacked with eggs and stones while he was travelling towards Pathankot to attend the yatra. Bittu accused AAP supporters of involvement and sought an investigation.
The BJP’s campaign is also expected to focus on law and order and corruption, alongside drugs. Party leaders have said the four routes are designed to take the campaign to every assembly constituency in Punjab.
Senior BJP leaders, including Manpreet Singh Badal and Ashwani Sharma, addressed the Madhopur programme. Badal said drug abuse was damaging Punjab’s image, while Sharma described it as a problem affecting families across political and social lines.
The anti-drug campaign has emerged as a major political battleground ahead of the 2027 election, with the BJP, AAP and Congress trading accusations over responsibility for the crisis and the effectiveness of measures taken to combat trafficking and addiction.
UNI NB RSA
Tags: #BJP launches ‘Nasha Mukt Punjab Yatra’; Nitin Nabin targets AAP over drugs# vows mass campaign
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