Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Saturday, 19 September 2026, called on the people of Punjab to wage a decisive battle against drug abuse, framing the crisis as an existential threat to the state's youth and families. His appeal came through a video message posted on X, ahead of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)'s ongoing 'Nasha Mukt Punjab Yatra' campaign.

The Campaign and Its Rollout

The BJP launched the 'Nasha Mukt Punjab Yatra' — running from 18 September to 30 September — under the party's 'Eradicate Drugs' slogan. The campaign kicked off on 18 September in Madhopur, Pathankot, with yatras being conducted simultaneously from four locations across the state.

Chouhan, along with Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, is scheduled to flag off the fourth yatra on 21 September after offering prayers at Takht Sri Damdama Sahib in Talwandi Sabo.

Chouhan's Charge Against the AAP Government

Voicing concern over what he called a spiralling drug emergency ahead of his Punjab visit, Chouhan squarely blamed the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government for failing to contain the problem. 'Punjab is currently going through a serious drug crisis. Drugs have devastated many families and ruined the lives and futures of numerous young people,' he said in his video message.

He called on residents to participate in the yatra in large numbers, adding: 'My sisters and brothers of Punjab, elders, sons and daughters, come forward and participate in this yatra in large numbers to make Punjab drug-free. Let us fight a decisive battle against drugs so that Punjab can be made drug-free.'

Delhi CM Flags Off Second Leg from Fatehgarh Sahib

Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on the same day flagged off the second leg of the yatra from Fatehgarh Sahib. Before launching the yatra, she paid obeisance at a historic gurdwara on the sacred land associated with the martyrdom of the younger Sahibzadas of Guru Gobind Singh.

Gupta trained her criticism on the AAP leadership, alleging repeated broken promises on drug eradication. 'When Arvind Kejriwal and Bhagwant Mann came to power in Punjab, they promised to eliminate drugs from the state within three months. The deadline was extended, first by three months and then by four months, and has now been extended six times. A government that keeps giving new deadlines cannot be expected to eradicate drugs,' she said. She characterised the 13-day yatra as a broader campaign to unseat the AAP government in the state.

Political Context and What It Signals

The campaign arrives at a time of heightened political activity in Punjab, with the BJP seeking to consolidate its presence in a state it does not currently govern. By anchoring its outreach around the drug issue — a concern that cuts across caste, community and region in Punjab — the party is attempting to build a grassroots narrative against the AAP dispensation. Critics may note that the yatra is as much an electoral mobilisation exercise as a social campaign, given that Punjab assembly elections are within the political horizon.