Nasha Mukt Punjab Yatra: Ahead of Punjab elections 2027, BJP to hold 13-day anti-drug yatra across state
PTC Web Desk: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is set to launch a major anti-drug campaign in Punjab ahead of the state Assembly elections 2027, with the party planning to cover all 117 constituencies in just 13 days.
BJP national president Nitin Nabin is scheduled to flag off the ‘Nasha Mukt Punjab Yatra’ from Madhopur in Pathankot on September 18. The campaign will be carried out through four separate routes covering nearly 4,000 km across the state.
All four yatras will conclude at Devi Talab Temple in Jalandhar, where Union Home Minister Amit Shah is expected to join the concluding programme.
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During the campaign, BJP leaders will meet families affected by drug abuse, NGOs, sports clubs and village-level committees to understand the impact of drugs and discuss measures to tackle the problem.
The announcement was made during a press conference in Chandigarh attended by Punjab BJP president Kewal Singh Dhillon, national vice-president Manpreet Singh Badal, former state president Sunil Jakhar and MLA Ashwani Sharma.
BJP targets AAP government over drug issue
Punjab BJP president Kewal Singh Dhillon accused the Aam Aadmi Party government of failing to eliminate the drug problem in the state. He alleged that while drugs continue to affect Punjab, voices speaking against the problem are being suppressed.
Dhillon said the BJP wanted to take the anti-drug campaign directly to people and make the fight against drug abuse a major political and social issue in the state.
Four routes planned across Punjab
The first route will begin from Madhopur in Pathankot on September 18 and cover constituencies across the border belt and Majha region before moving towards Ferozepur and Jalandhar.
The route includes Sujanpur, Pathankot, Bhoa, Dinanagar, Gurdaspur, Qadian, Sri Hargobindpur, Batala, Fatehgarh Churian, Dera Baba Nanak, Ajnala, Raja Sansi, Attari, Amritsar West, Amritsar Central, Amritsar South, Amritsar East, Amritsar North, Majitha, Jandiala, Baba Bakala, Tarn Taran, Khadoor Sahib, Khem Karan, Patti, Ferozepur City, Guru Har Sahai, Ferozepur Rural, Zira, Sultanpur Lodhi, Bholath, Nakodar, Shahkot and Jalandhar Cantonment.
The second yatra will start on September 19 after paying obeisance at Gurdwara Sri Fatehgarh Sahib. It will pass through Samrala, Payal, Khanna, Amloh, Fatehgarh Sahib, Bassi Pathana, Dera Bassi, Mohali, Kharar, Chamkaur Sahib, Ropar, Anandpur Sahib, Garhshankar, Chabbewal, Hoshiarpur, Sham Chaurasi, Dasuya, Mukerian, Urmar, Adampur, Balachaur, Nawanshahr, Banga and Phagwara.
The third route will begin on September 20 from the Sadiki border area in Fazilka, near the Asafwala 1971 War Memorial. It will cover Fazilka, Balluana, Abohar, Jalalabad, Sri Muktsar Sahib, Malout, Gidderbaha, Jaito, Kotkapura, Faridkot, Bagha Purana, Nihal Singh Wala, Dharamkot, Moga, Jagraon, Raikot, Dakha, Malerkotla, Amargarh, Gill, Sahnewal and Ludhiana city constituencies.
The fourth yatra will start on September 21 after prayers at Gurdwara Sri Damdama Sahib in Talwandi Sabo. It will cover Talwandi Sabo, Maur, Rampura Phul, Bhucho Mandi, Bathinda Rural, Bathinda Urban, Mansa, Sardulgarh, Budhlada, Bhadaur, Barnala, Mehal Kalan, Dhuri, Sangrur, Sunam, Dirba, Lehragaga, Shutrana, Nabha, Patiala Rural, Patiala Urban, Sanour and Rajpura.
BJP says drug fight cannot be measured by FIR numbers
BJP national vice-president Manpreet Singh Badal said the Punjab government has cited around 73,000 drug-related cases and treatment of nearly 25,000 patients as part of its anti-drug campaign.
He said the BJP was not questioning these figures but argued that the success of an anti-drug campaign should ultimately be judged by how many people are successfully rehabilitated and able to return to normal life.
He compared the fight against drugs to a military operation, saying different agencies and institutions need to work together rather than relying on a single approach.
According to Manpreet Badal, simply seizing drug consignments will not be enough to dismantle the drug trade. He said authorities also need to follow the money and identify the wider network behind the illegal business.
The BJP plans to propose a Drug Trafficking Intelligence Grid for Punjab. The proposed network would bring together agencies, including Punjab Police, National Crime Records Bureau, Customs, Income Tax Department and BSF, along with religious organisations, schools and industry representatives.
The party says such coordination could help authorities track the financial networks and wider infrastructure supporting drug trafficking in Punjab.
With the Assembly elections approaching, the BJP's 13-day campaign is expected to put the drug issue back at the centre of political debate in the state.
- PTC NEWS
