Families from Ludhiana, Punjab, came forward on 25 September 2026 with allegations of police inaction on drug use and trafficking in their neighbourhoods, speaking at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)'s 'Nasha Mukt Punjab Yatra' (Drug-Free Punjab March) under a segment titled 'Mavan Mangdian Jawab' (Mothers Demand Answers). The event drew 17 families from Ludhiana and the nearby town of Jagraon, who placed photographs and newspaper clippings of drug-related deaths on empty chairs to represent, as organisers put it, lives that could have been saved.

What the families alleged

Varsha, a resident of Manohar Nagar, told reporters that her husband had been consuming drugs for the past 10 years and was also involved in selling them. She alleged that despite repeated complaints, police had failed to act against him — and that on one occasion, she claimed, she was the one taken away by police rather than her husband. She added that speaking out had caused family members to turn against her.

Balwinder Kaur, a resident of Manjit Nagar, alleged that approximately 50 people had died from drug use in her neighbourhood alone, and offered to take reporters to the area to witness what she described as open drug sales. Another Manohar Nagar resident alleged that 10 to 12 people had died of drug-related causes in his locality, and that police had acted against those speaking out rather than those selling drugs.

The human cost on display

Among the most striking accounts came from Shindo Bai, who said she had lost four sons to drugs. Other families reported losing one or two sons or relatives. The empty chairs at the event, each bearing a photograph or news report of a drug-related death in Ludhiana, were a deliberate reminder of the scale of loss that families say authorities have failed to address. The gathering amplified what advocacy groups have long described as Punjab's intractable drug crisis — one that has persisted across multiple state administrations.

What the BJP said

Punjab BJP President Kewal Singh Dhillon said the suffering of families affected by drugs was, in his words, 'difficult to express or endure.' He stated that the party's 'Nasha Mukt Punjab Yatra' would continue until 30 September as part of a sustained effort to keep the issue in public focus. Dhillon said residents had stopped his convoy in Bhucho Mandi town and urged the party not to retreat from what they called a decisive campaign against drugs.

Dhillon described the march as 'not a political exercise but a people's movement,' and referenced the BJP's claimed record in tackling Naxalism nationally and gangsterism in Uttar Pradesh as evidence that the party could address Punjab's drug problem. He appealed for public support across the state to make Punjab drug-free.

Context and what comes next

Punjab's drug crisis has been a persistent political flashpoint, with successive state governments — including the current Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) administration — facing criticism over enforcement gaps. The BJP, currently in opposition in the state, has framed this yatra as a pressure campaign ahead of future electoral cycles. Critics note that such marches risk reducing a public health emergency to a political platform, while families at the event made clear they were seeking accountability regardless of party affiliation. With the yatra running until 30 September, further testimonies from affected families across districts are expected.