Bhagwant Mann's drug-free deadlines expired repeatedly, says Shivraj Chouhan
Synopsis
Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Chouhan used the sacred ground of Takht Sri Damdama Sahib to launch a pointed political attack on Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann, declaring his drug-free deadlines have expired repeatedly. With a BJP yatra now in its fourth edition and law-and-order deterioration cited, the drug issue is shaping up as the BJP’s primary electoral weapon against AAP in Punjab.
Key Takeaways
Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan accused Punjab CM Bhagwant Singh Mann of letting drug-free deadlines expire repeatedly, speaking at Talwandi Sabo on 21 September 2026 .
The fourth Nasha Mukt Punjab Yatra was flagged off at the event, accompanied by senior BJP leaders including Satish Poonia , Kewal Singh Dhillon , Manpreet Singh Badal , and Tarun Chugh .
Chouhan invoked his record in Madhya Pradesh , claiming he eliminated dacoits from the Chambal region within six months, and pledged to uproot drugs if BJP forms the government in Punjab.
Former Punjab BJP President Sunil Jakhar cited the murders of ASI Harjit Singh , ASI Joga Singh , and a third ASI in Amritsar as evidence of a law-and-order breakdown under the AAP government.
BJP leaders challenged CM Mann to release crematorium records of youth who died due to drugs.
Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Monday, 21 September 2026, accused Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann of repeatedly allowing self-imposed deadlines to make Punjab drug-free to lapse without result. Chouhan made the remarks while addressing a public gathering in Talwandi Sabo, Punjab, during the flagging off of the fourth Nasha Mukt Punjab Yatra.
Key Remarks at Talwandi Sabo
“Whatever time is left for this government, it should stop patronising the drug mafia and start working against it,” Chouhan told the rally. Before addressing the gathering, the minister offered prayers at Takht Sri Damdama Sahib — the fifth Takht of the Sikh community — for a drug-free Punjab. He said that while the visit filled him with renewed energy, seeing mothers who had lost their sons and women who had lost their husbands to drugs left him deeply saddened.
Questioning the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)-led government’s claims of eradicating drugs, Chouhan charged that AAP was pushing Punjab towards destruction. “AAP has committed the grave sin of pushing the heirs of Shaheed Bhagat Singh towards drugs. The drug menace is destroying the youth who should have been leading Punjab towards progress,” he said.
BJP’s Pledge and Political Challenge
Chouhan drew on his record in Madhya Pradesh, claiming he had eliminated dacoits from the Chambal region within six months of assuming office there. “If the BJP forms the government in Punjab, we will uproot the drug menace,” he declared. He said the message from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah for Punjab was unequivocal: the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) would not rest until the state was drug-free. “Just as gangsterism has been tackled in Uttar Pradesh, violence in Kashmir and Naxalism in the country, drug traffickers in Punjab will also be eliminated,” he added. He also criticised the AAP-led government for allegedly showing black flags against the drug-free Punjab yatra.
Law and Order Concerns Raised
Former Punjab BJP President Sunil Jakhar raised concerns over deteriorating law and order, citing the murder of an Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) in Amritsar two days prior, and the earlier killings of ASI Harjit Singh and ASI Joga Singh. Jakhar said that under the Mann government, gangsters were operating without fear and a state of lawlessness was spreading across Punjab. He also referred to the recently released Punjabi film Satluj, which premiered on an OTT platform, challenging Chief Minister Mann to release crematorium records showing how many young people had died due to drugs.
Other Leaders Speak
Punjab BJP President Kewal Singh Dhillon said only the BJP could pull Punjab out of the drug quagmire, urging people to vote the party to power. BJP national Vice-President Manpreet Singh Badal said the BJP was taking a pledge from the sacred land of Talwandi Sabo to destroy the drug network, adding that the Mann government had failed on every front. The Yatra was flagged off alongside BJP national General Secretary and Punjab in-charge Satish Poonia, Rajya Sabha MP Tarun Chugh, state General Secretary Anil Sareen, and other party leaders.
What to Watch
The Nasha Mukt Punjab Yatra represents an escalating BJP effort to consolidate political ground in Punjab ahead of the next state assembly election. With the AAP government yet to formally respond to Monday’s charges, the drug issue is set to remain a central flashpoint in Punjab politics in the weeks ahead.
Point of View
Sustained pre-election campaign rather than an ad hoc protest — Chouhan’s invocation of his Chambal record is crafted to contrast ‘proven delivery’ against AAP’s missed deadlines. What the BJP’s framing sidesteps is that drug trafficking in Punjab has deep structural roots predating AAP’s tenure, and no government — including previous Congress and Shiromani Akali Dal administrations — has come close to resolving it. The reference to crematorium data is a rhetorical escalation worth watching: if such data is formally demanded through legal channels, it could become a genuine accountability moment for the state government, regardless of political intent.
NationPress
21 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What did Shivraj Chouhan say about Punjab’s drug-free deadlines?
Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said on 21 September 2026 that Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann’s deadlines to make the state drug-free had repeatedly expired without achieving the promised goal. Speaking at Talwandi Sabo, he urged the government to stop ‘patronising the drug mafia’ and start working against it.
What is the Nasha Mukt Punjab Yatra?
The Nasha Mukt Punjab Yatra is a BJP-led campaign aimed at raising awareness against drug abuse and pressuring the Punjab government on the drug menace. The fourth edition of the Yatra was flagged off at Talwandi Sabo on 21 September 2026, alongside prayers at Takht Sri Damdama Sahib.
What law-and-order concerns were raised at the Talwandi Sabo rally?
Former Punjab BJP President Sunil Jakhar cited the murders of ASI Harjit Singh, ASI Joga Singh, and a third ASI in Amritsar within a short span as evidence of deteriorating law and order under the AAP government. He said gangsters were operating without fear in the state.
What did Shivraj Chouhan pledge about Punjab if BJP wins?
Chouhan pledged that if the BJP forms the government in Punjab, it would uproot the drug menace. He cited his record of eliminating dacoits from Madhya Pradesh’s Chambal region within six months of assuming office there as evidence of his resolve.
How does the Punjab drug issue fit into BJP’s political strategy?
The BJP has made the drug menace a central electoral issue in Punjab, running successive editions of the Nasha Mukt Punjab Yatra. Senior leaders including Shivraj Chouhan, Kewal Singh Dhillon, Manpreet Singh Badal, and Satish Poonia have framed the issue as a failure of the AAP government, positioning the BJP as the alternative ahead of the next state assembly election.
