Nasha Mukt Punjab Yatra: Modi, Shah pledged to free Punjab youth from drugs, says Meghwal
Synopsis
The BJP's 'Nasha Mukt Punjab Yatra' wrapped up in Amritsar with Union Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal making a pointed claim: that PM Modi and HM Amit Shah have personally pledged to end Punjab's drug crisis. With alleged police-smuggler collusion, drugs in schools and hospitals, and indirect fire aimed at the AAP, the march doubles as a political blueprint for the BJP's Punjab ambitions.
Key Takeaways
BJP's state-level anti-drug march 'Nasha Mukt Punjab Yatra' concluded its final leg in Amritsar on 25 September 2026 .
Union Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal said PM Narendra Modi and HM Amit Shah have made a firm pledge to free Punjab's youth from drug addiction.
Meghwal alleged narcotics are being sold inside hospitals, schools, jails, and public spaces across Punjab, and claimed police are shielding smugglers.
He described the yatra as a 'movement for social reform', not merely a political exercise, and appealed for unity to protect 'Rangla Punjab'.
The BJP pledged that upon coming to power, the drug crisis would be treated as Punjab's foremost priority.
Union Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal on 25 September 2026 declared that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah have taken a firm pledge to liberate Punjab's youth from the scourge of drugs, as the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) state-level anti-drug march — 'Nasha Mukt Punjab Yatra' — reached its final leg in Amritsar. The march, led by BJP Amritsar Urban District President Salil Kapoor, drew hundreds of motorcyclists and party workers carrying anti-drug posters, flags, and placards.
Key Developments at the March
Joining Meghwal on stage were former MP and former State BJP President Shwet Malik, MP Vikramjit Singh Sahni, former MP and former State BJP President Sunil Jakhar, Bakshi Ram Arora, District General Secretary Manish Sharma, Manav Taneja, Rajbir Sharma, and Rahul Maheshwari. Hundreds of motorcyclists, led by BJP Yuva Morcha District General Secretary Karna Beri, formed the vanguard of the procession, underscoring the youth-led character of the campaign.
What the Government Said
Addressing the gathering, Meghwal drew a direct link between national governance and Punjab's drug crisis. He said, 'India's fiscal landscape since the rollout of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) in July 2017 has changed. The reform had strengthened the country's tax architecture, enabling greater investment in infrastructure across the nation, a shift credited to PM Narendra Modi's long-term economic vision. Now, PM Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah had taken a firm Sankalp or pledge, to free the state's youth from the grip of drugs, and we will achieve it.'
The minister further alleged that narcotics are now being peddled with 'alarming ease' inside hospitals, schools, jails, and public spaces across Punjab. He claimed that law and order had deteriorated to the point where, according to him, police personnel are shielding smugglers while targeting vulnerable victims instead. Meghwal attributed this, in part, to what he described as 'corrupt elements from Delhi relocating to Punjab' — a remark widely read as an indirect criticism of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in both states.
BJP's Larger Claim on Law and Order
Meghwal cited the BJP's track record in tackling organised crime in Uttar Pradesh, Left-wing extremism in West Bengal and Chhattisgarh, terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir, and examination paper leaks in Rajasthan as evidence of the party's ability to follow through on tough law-and-order commitments. The minister framed the 'Nasha Mukt Punjab Yatra' not as a political exercise but as 'a movement for social reform aimed at safeguarding the state's youth.'
Impact on Citizens and What Comes Next
Meghwal appealed for public unity to protect what he called 'Rangla Punjab' and pledged that, once in power, the BJP would treat the drug crisis as the state's foremost challenge and work to uproot it entirely. The yatra's conclusion in Amritsar signals the BJP's intent to keep Punjab's drug menace at the centre of its political messaging ahead of the state's electoral cycle. Analysts note that Punjab has long grappled with a drug abuse crisis that successive governments — including the Congress and AAP — have pledged to address, making accountability on delivery a key test for any future administration.
Point of View
And the BJP is no different. What is notable here is the explicit invocation of Modi and Shah's personal 'Sankalp', designed to elevate a state-level campaign into a national narrative. However, the BJP governs at the Centre and has significant influence over central agencies; the question critics will ask is why federal enforcement action on Punjab's drug networks has not been more decisive if the political will was always there. Meghwal's attribution of the problem to 'corrupt elements from Delhi' is a pointed attack on AAP, but it also risks looking like deflection. Punjab's drug crisis predates AAP and has persisted across multiple party governments — accountability for that failure is shared, not singular.
NationPress
25 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the BJP's 'Nasha Mukt Punjab Yatra'?
The 'Nasha Mukt Punjab Yatra' is a BJP state-level anti-drug awareness march in Punjab. The march, led by Amritsar Urban District President Salil Kapoor, concluded its final leg in Amritsar on 25 September 2026, with hundreds of motorcyclists and party workers participating.
What did Union Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal say about drugs in Punjab?
Meghwal alleged that drugs are being sold with alarming ease inside hospitals, schools, jails, and public spaces in Punjab, and claimed that police are shielding smugglers while targeting vulnerable victims. He said PM Modi and HM Amit Shah have made a firm pledge to end this crisis.
Why did Meghwal mention GST in the context of the anti-drug march?
Meghwal linked the GST rollout of July 2017 to broader governance improvements under PM Modi, arguing that stronger tax revenues have enabled greater national investment in infrastructure. He used this to frame the drug fight as part of the same long-term governance vision.
Who else participated in the Nasha Mukt Punjab Yatra in Amritsar?
Senior BJP figures including former MP Shwet Malik, MP Vikramjit Singh Sahni, and former MP Sunil Jakhar joined Meghwal on stage. Hundreds of motorcyclists led by BJP Yuva Morcha District General Secretary Karna Beri formed the procession.
What does the BJP promise on Punjab's drug crisis if it comes to power?
The BJP, through Meghwal, has pledged that a BJP government in Punjab would treat the drug crisis as the state's foremost challenge and work to eliminate it entirely, citing its track record on law and order in Uttar Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, and other states.
