Shagun Parihar, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)'s youngest legislator and member from Kishtwar in Jammu and Kashmir, launched a sharp attack on the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Punjab on Sunday, 27 September 2026, alleging that Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann had given drug smugglers a free hand in the state. Parihar was speaking at a rally in Mukerian on the eighth day of the BJP's 'Nasha Mukt Punjab Yatra', a campaign aimed at raising public awareness against the drug menace.

Parihar's Allegations Against CM Bhagwant Mann

Parihar did not hold back in her criticism of the state's top leadership. She alleged that expecting strict action against drugs from a Chief Minister who, she claimed, reaches the Punjab Assembly after consuming liquor is 'meaningless'. She also accused AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal of having betrayed the people of Punjab.

'The situation in Punjab has become so bad that there is no guarantee that a person who goes to sleep at night will wake up safely in the morning, or that someone who steps out of their home will return safely,' she said at the rally. These are, notably, allegations that the AAP government has consistently denied, maintaining that its administration has been cracking down on drug networks.

Personal Story: From Terror to Transformation in J&K

Parihar drew a pointed parallel between Punjab's current situation and the violence that once gripped Jammu and Kashmir, invoking her own personal loss to make the argument. She recalled how her father and uncle were killed by terrorists at a time when, she said, militants roamed streets freely and those who raised their voices were shot in broad daylight.

She credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah with reversing that trajectory by abrogating Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir. 'Today, Kashmir is witnessing discussions about change, prosperity, tablets in the hands of young people, and employment,' she said, urging Punjab's people to similarly support Modi and Shah for a transformation in their state.

Other BJP Leaders Raise the Stakes

Senior BJP leader Vijay Sampla alleged at the same rally that drugs are being sold house-to-house in Punjab, with home delivery reportedly taking place. He further alleged that the bodies of sarpanches who raised their voices against the drug trade are being found — a claim he attributed to what he described as government patronage of drug networks. These are serious allegations that have not been independently verified.

Pathankot MLA and former State BJP President Ashwani Sharma described the yatra as a mission to save Punjab's youth and build public resistance against drugs. Mukerian MLA Jangi Lal Mahajan made an explicit electoral promise, stating that drug smugglers would be jailed as soon as the BJP comes to power. 'Drug smugglers have only four months left,' he said, in what appeared to be a direct reference to the state assembly election timeline.

'Nasha Mukt Punjab Yatra': The Broader Campaign

The BJP's 'Nasha Mukt Punjab Yatra' is positioned as a sustained public outreach effort on the drug crisis, one of the most politically charged issues in Punjab. The state has long grappled with a severe drug abuse problem, and successive governments — including those of the Congress and now the AAP — have faced criticism over their handling of it. During the Mukerian rally, Prime Minister Modi's monthly radio programme 'Mann Ki Baat' was also broadcast for attendees.

With assembly elections in Punjab approaching, the BJP's intensified focus on the drug issue signals an attempt to consolidate opposition sentiment against the AAP government on a matter that resonates deeply with Punjab's voters.