Three drug deaths in one day expose AAP's Punjab anti-drug failure, says BJP
Synopsis
Three drug-related deaths in Punjab — spanning Fatehgarh Churian, Samana, and Bathinda — on a single day have given the BJP fresh ammunition against the AAP government. The Bathinda case is the second such death in the same family this month. BJP state chief Kewal Singh Dhillon has declared the AAP's pre-poll promise to eradicate drugs within three months a proven failure.
Key Takeaways
Three men died of suspected drug overdoses across Punjab on 22 September , in Fatehgarh Churian , Samana , and Bathinda .
The Bathinda death is reportedly the second drug-related fatality in the same family in Poohla village this month.
BJP Punjab president Kewal Singh Dhillon called the AAP government's anti-drug policy a 'complete failure.' The AAP had promised to eradicate drugs from Punjab within three months of coming to power — a pledge Dhillon says remains unmet.
The BJP is running a 'Nasha Mukt Punjab Yatra' to spread grassroots awareness against drug abuse across Punjab's villages.
Three men died of suspected drug overdoses across Punjab on the same day, prompting Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) state president Kewal Singh Dhillon to declare the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government's anti-drug policy a 'complete failure' on Tuesday, 22 September. The deaths, reported from three separate districts within hours of each other, have reignited the long-running political battle over Punjab's drug crisis.
Three Deaths, Three Districts
The fatalities occurred in quick succession: a 22-year-old youth died in Teja Kalan village in Fatehgarh Churian; a 25-year-old lost his life in Badshahpur in Samana; and a third man died in Poohla village in Bathinda. The Bathinda case is particularly alarming — it is reportedly the second drug-related death in the same family in Poohla village within the current month alone, according to Dhillon's statement.
BJP Calls Out AAP's Pre-Poll Promise
Dhillon recalled that the AAP government had, before coming to power, promised to eradicate drugs from Punjab within three months. That pledge remains unfulfilled, he argued, pointing to the persistence of drug-related fatalities across the state. 'Every day, a mother loses her son and a sister loses her brother to drugs,' Dhillon said. He added that mothers and sisters across Punjab were deeply worried about protecting young family members from drug abuse, and that the government needed to understand the pain of families being torn apart and take effective measures to stop the supply of narcotics.
Beyond Law and Order: A Generational Crisis
The BJP state chief framed the drug menace as more than a policing challenge. He said it was a 'serious challenge linked to the future of Punjab's youth and families,' calling for a fundamental shift in government response beyond incremental enforcement steps. This comes amid a broader pattern of criticism directed at the AAP administration over its handling of Punjab's drug problem — an issue that was central to the party's electoral campaign in the state.
BJP's 'Nasha Mukt Punjab Yatra'
Dhillon said the BJP is currently conducting a grassroots campaign called the 'Nasha Mukt Punjab Yatra', aimed at spreading awareness against drug abuse at the village level across the state. He said that once a BJP government is formed in Punjab, the drug scourge would be 'uprooted from the state.' Critics may note that such pledges mirror the very promises AAP made before assuming power — raising questions about whether either party has a substantively different roadmap for tackling what is a deeply entrenched social and supply-chain problem in Punjab.
Point of View
But the underlying story is starker than any party's press release. Three drug deaths in a single day — including a second fatality in the same Bathinda family within a month — point to a supply and addiction crisis that has outlasted multiple governments and multiple promises. AAP came to power in Punjab partly on the strength of its anti-drug rhetoric, and the BJP is now using that rhetoric as a weapon. Yet the BJP's own 'Nasha Mukt Punjab Yatra' relies on awareness campaigns, a tool that addiction experts consistently rate as insufficient without simultaneous enforcement and rehabilitation. Neither side is yet presenting a measurable, outcome-linked framework for reducing drug deaths — the only metric that ultimately matters.
NationPress
22 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What happened in Punjab on 22 September that sparked the BJP's criticism?
Three men died of suspected drug overdoses on the same day across three different Punjab districts — Fatehgarh Churian, Samana, and Bathinda. BJP state president Kewal Singh Dhillon cited the deaths as evidence of the AAP government's failure to control the state's drug menace.
What was the AAP government's original promise on drugs in Punjab?
Before coming to power in Punjab, the AAP had promised to eradicate drugs from the state within three months. Dhillon says the government has failed to deliver on that pledge, pointing to the continued occurrence of drug-related deaths across Punjab.
Why is the Bathinda death particularly significant?
The death in Poohla village in Bathinda is reportedly the second drug-related fatality in the same family within the same month, according to Dhillon's statement. This makes it a focal point in the BJP's argument that the crisis is deepening rather than abating.
What is the 'Nasha Mukt Punjab Yatra' and what does it aim to do?
The 'Nasha Mukt Punjab Yatra' is a BJP-led grassroots campaign being taken to villages across Punjab to spread awareness against drug abuse. Dhillon said the party's goal is to eradicate drugs at the ground level, and that a BJP government would uproot the drug scourge from the state.
How significant is Punjab's drug problem in a broader context?
Punjab's drug crisis is one of the most documented in India, affecting a significant proportion of the state's young population. It has been a defining political issue through multiple governments, and the persistence of drug deaths despite successive anti-drug pledges underscores the gap between political promises and ground-level outcomes.
