CM Fadnavis Takes Nasha Mukt Pledge at Mumbai Navratri Event
Synopsis
Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis joined the Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyan pledge drive at Rangila Navratri Utsav 2026 in Mumbai, organised by BJP's Vinod Shelar and Sai Prabodhan Trust, embedding the national anti-drug campaign within the state's biggest festival season.
Key Takeaways
CM Devendra Fadnavis administered the Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyan pledge at Rangila Navratri Utsav 2026 in Mumbai on 20 October 2026 .
The event was co-organised by BJP leader Vinod Shelar and the Sai Prabodhan Trust .
Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyan is a national anti-drug campaign launched in 2020 by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment .
The initiative uses collective public pledges at cultural gatherings to maximise reach among urban youth .
Maharashtra routinely integrates central welfare schemes with high-footfall cultural festivals to boost voluntary participation.
At a festive gathering lit by the spirit of Navratri, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis stepped onto a public stage in Mumbai on Tuesday, 20 October 2026 — and turned a cultural celebration into a civic commitment. Standing alongside attendees at the Rangila Navratri Utsav 2026, Fadnavis administered the oath under the Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyan, the national anti-drug campaign, weaving welfare messaging into one of Maharashtra's most widely attended festival seasons.
The event was organised by BJP leader Vinod Shelar and the Sai Prabodhan Trust, a Mumbai-based organisation known for combining community festivals with social-awareness programming. The Chief Minister's Office confirmed his participation via an official post on X, noting the pledge was taken उपस्थितांसमवेत — 'together with those present' — underlining the collective, community-driven intent of the exercise.
What Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyan actually asks of participants
Launched nationally in 2020 by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, the Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyan targets substance abuse through grassroots awareness and voluntary pledges. Its design is deliberately decentralised — state governments and local organisations host oath-taking drives in schools, colleges, and, increasingly, public festivals. The pledge asks participants to personally commit to a drug-free life and to actively discourage substance abuse in their communities.
Maharashtra has aligned state welfare programmes with national campaigns before, using high-footfall public events to maximise reach among urban youth — the demographic most targeted by the campaign's architects.
Why Navratri is the political canvas of choice
Navratri draws tens of thousands of Mumbai residents to pandals, garba nights, and community gatherings across the city each October. For state governments, the festival represents an unmatched, pre-assembled audience. By placing the Nasha Mukt pledge inside a Navratri programme, the Fadnavis administration converts a single ceremonial moment into a scaled visibility exercise — without the cost or logistics of a standalone event. It is a playbook Maharashtra has run before, and one that other states increasingly mirror.
District-level oath drives linked to this campaign are likely to follow across Maharashtra in the coming weeks, as the state looks to report participation numbers upward to the central ministry.
Point of View
Now in its sixth year, has relied heavily on state-level champions and local trusts to sustain momentum beyond its 2020 launch. Embedding such pledges in festivals like Navratri signals a shift from institutional settings — classrooms, government offices — toward mass-participation public spaces. Whether this translates into measurable de-addiction outcomes, or remains primarily a visibility exercise, will depend on the follow-through in district-level programming that typically remains less visible.
NationPress
20 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyan?
Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyan is a national anti-drug abuse campaign launched in 2020 by India's Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment . It works through community awareness drives and voluntary pledges to reduce substance abuse, particularly among youth.
Why did CM Fadnavis take an anti-drug pledge at a Navratri event?
CM Devendra Fadnavis participated in the pledge drive at Rangila Navratri Utsav 2026 in Mumbai to integrate the Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyan with a high-footfall public festival, maximising community outreach during one of Maharashtra's busiest cultural seasons.
Who organised the Rangila Navratri Utsav 2026 in Mumbai?
The event was organised by BJP leader Vinod Shelar and the Sai Prabodhan Trust , a Mumbai-based community organisation that hosts cultural festivals and social-awareness programmes.
What does the Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyan pledge involve?
Participants who take the pledge commit personally to living drug-free and to actively discouraging substance abuse within their families and communities. The pledge is a core awareness tool of the national campaign.
Has Maharashtra taken part in Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyan before?
Yes. Maharashtra has previously integrated the Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyan with state-level public events, aligning central social-welfare campaigns with cultural gatherings to increase voluntary participation across urban and rural areas.
