Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann: 80% Pakistan-origin drugs eliminated, BJP must answer for Mundra Port
Synopsis
Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann has claimed 80% of Pakistan-origin drug flows into the state have been shut down — and then turned the spotlight squarely on BJP, demanding Home Minister Amit Shah explain why large narcotics hauls keep surfacing at Gujarat's Mundra Port. It is a calculated political offensive that reframes the drug debate from Punjab's problem to the Centre's accountability.
Key Takeaways
Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann claimed on 14 September 2026 that nearly 80% of drugs entering Punjab from Pakistan have been eliminated.
10 gangsters have been brought back to Punjab from abroad since January 2026 .
Mann said the government will now target drug supply from Gujarat , Madhya Pradesh , and Rajasthan .
He directly challenged Union Home Minister Amit Shah over narcotics recovered from Mundra Port in Gujarat.
Mann accused Congress and Shiromani Akali Dal of having 'nurtured gangsters' and called Opposition criticism 'vulture politics'.
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Monday, 14 September 2026, declared that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)-led state government has eliminated nearly 80 per cent of drugs flowing in from Pakistan, even as he trained his guns on the Opposition — calling their response to law-and-order incidents 'vulture politics' rather than governance. The remarks came at a press conference in Chandigarh.
Drug Crackdown: Key Numbers
Mann said 10 gangsters have been extradited or brought back to Punjab from abroad since January 2026, as part of a sustained drive against organised crime. He credited the state's coordinated efforts for the sharp reduction in narcotics consignments crossing the 532-km India-Pakistan border into Punjab.
The Chief Minister, however, acknowledged that drug supply routes have shifted, and said his government would now 'tighten the noose' on inflows from Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, and Rajasthan — all BJP-governed states.
Mann's Direct Charge Against BJP and Amit Shah
'If the BJP takes care of the Mundra Port in Gujarat, the drug menace in Punjab will be almost eliminated,' Mann said, pointing to what he described as a significant recovery of narcotics from the port. Mundra Port is located in Gujarat, the home state of Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
Mann went further, saying: 'The Union Home Minister is not able to check drugs in his own state and is planning to undertake an anti-drug yatra in Punjab.' The remarks mark a sharp escalation in the ruling party's political messaging on the drug issue ahead of what is expected to be a continued battle over Punjab's law-and-order narrative.
Attack on Congress and Akali Dal
Mann reserved equal criticism for the Indian National Congress and the Shiromani Akali Dal, whom he accused of having 'nurtured gangsters' during their respective tenures. He argued that both parties had forfeited their right to speak on law and order.
'When you have no issue, you start feeding on every unfortunate incident. This is not politics of public service, this is vulture politics. Punjab deserves better than this cheap politics,' he said.
Government's Anti-Crime Roadmap
Mann outlined what he described as a comprehensive strategy going beyond arrests. 'We are identifying networks, intercepting consignments, choking financial channels and bringing the perpetrators to justice. Punjab Police is working day and night and we have not allowed criminals to dictate the agenda of the state,' he said.
He also pushed back against what he termed a deliberate effort to defame the state: 'Punjab is not merely a border state but the gateway to the country and a gem of India. Any attempt to portray the entire state through the prism of isolated incidents is a deliberate attempt to malign Punjab and its people.'
With the next assembly election cycle approaching and Punjab's drug and gangster problem remaining a high-decibel political flashpoint, Mann's offensive posture signals that AAP intends to fight the narrative — not just the crime.
Point of View
And citing it ties Amit Shah's home turf to the very menace he plans to campaign against in Punjab. What Mann's numbers lack, however, is independent verification — the '80 per cent eliminated' claim rests on government data alone, and Punjab's drug problem has proven resilient across multiple administrations. The real accountability question cuts both ways: AAP deserves credit for naming cross-border and inter-state routes, but it must also answer why isolated gangster incidents continue to generate national headlines on its watch.
NationPress
14 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What has Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann claimed about the drug crackdown?
Mann claimed on 14 September 2026 that the AAP-led Punjab government has eliminated nearly 80% of drugs flowing in from Pakistan, and that 10 gangsters have been brought back to Punjab from abroad since January 2026.
Why did Mann target the BJP over drugs?
Mann alleged that large consignments of narcotics have been recovered from Mundra Port in Gujarat — the home state of Union Home Minister Amit Shah — and questioned why BJP-ruled states remain transit points for drugs entering Punjab. He said BJP must 'take care' of Mundra Port before launching an anti-drug campaign in Punjab.
What did Mann say about Congress and Akali Dal?
Mann accused both the Indian National Congress and the Shiromani Akali Dal of having 'nurtured gangsters' during their tenures in power, arguing they have no standing to raise law-and-order concerns in Punjab.
What is Punjab's plan for drug routes from other states?
Mann said the government will now focus on choking drug supply coming from Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, and Rajasthan, after making progress on the Pakistan border route. The approach includes intercepting consignments and disrupting financial networks.
What did Mann mean by 'vulture politics'?
Mann used the phrase to criticise Opposition parties for latching onto isolated law-and-order incidents in Punjab for media attention rather than presenting a governance vision. He argued it amounts to political opportunism rather than constructive accountability.
