CM Saini rallies Haryana youth at Namo Marathon anti-drug drive
Synopsis
Haryana CM Nayab Singh Saini on 27 September 2026 rallied the state's youth against drug abuse through the Namo Marathon, framing sport as the antidote to narcotics under the BJP's ongoing Seva Sankalp Abhiyan.
Key Takeaways
CM Nayab Singh Saini posted on X on 27 September 2026 backing Haryana's youth-led anti-drug push via the Namo Marathon.
His message: 'No to drugs, Yes to sport' — channelling youth energy into fitness and competition.
The event is part of the Seva Sankalp Abhiyan , a BJP community-outreach and awareness campaign running across states.
Haryana has faced longstanding drug abuse challenges, especially in districts bordering Punjab .
BJP governments have consistently paired anti-narcotics messaging with sports events to engage younger populations since 2014 .
Scale of participation in future Namo Marathon legs and any new de-addiction or sports infrastructure orders will be the key indicators to watch.
Haryana's streets are running — literally. Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini on Sunday, 27 September 2026 threw his weight behind a mass youth mobilisation against drug abuse, channelling the energy of the state's young population into sport and fitness under the Seva Sankalp Abhiyan.
Posting on X in Hindi, Saini declared: 'Nashe ke khilaf Haryana ke laakhon dhaakad yuvaon ka josh shikhar par hai' — 'The spirit of Haryana's millions of bold young people against drugs is at its peak.' His message was blunt: 'Nashe ko na' (No to drugs), 'Khel ko haan' (Yes to sport).
What the Namo Marathon stands for
The Namo Marathon is a BJP-promoted fitness and social-awareness event series that pairs mass running with public health messaging. By tying the marathon to the Seva Sankalp Abhiyan — a BJP outreach campaign combining community service with visible social causes — the party gives the run a programmatic frame that extends beyond a single event into a sustained mobilisation effort.
Haryana has faced persistent drug abuse challenges, particularly in districts that share a border with Punjab, where narcotics trafficking has long been a documented concern. Successive Haryana governments, including the BJP administrations that have governed the state since 2014, have paired anti-narcotics drives with sports promotion schemes as a twin-track response.
Youth as the campaign's centrepiece
The emphasis on 'dhaakad yuva' — a Haryanvi term connoting strong, spirited youth — is deliberate. Haryana has a disproportionately young demographic and a well-documented sporting culture, producing Olympic medalists in wrestling, boxing, and athletics. Routing anti-drug energy through sport offers a socially familiar and aspirationally charged channel for the state's youth.
State BJP governments across Haryana, Punjab, and elsewhere have repeatedly used marathons and fitness events to engage younger voters while addressing substance abuse — a pattern this campaign clearly continues. Whether the Namo Marathon translates into expanded de-addiction infrastructure or new sports facilities in vulnerable districts will be the metric worth watching in the months ahead.
For now, CM Saini's message is simple, fast, and deliberately public — a chief minister in a running state, betting that momentum itself is the message.
Point of View
Especially given the state's proximity to Punjab, making anti-narcotics campaigns a recurring BJP priority since 2014. By branding the effort under Seva Sankalp Abhiyan, the party embeds what could be a one-off event into a broader programmatic narrative. The critical question is whether the street-level momentum converts into measurable policy outcomes — de-addiction centres, sports funding, or verifiable participation data — or remains primarily a mobilisation exercise.
NationPress
27 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Namo Marathon in Haryana?
The Namo Marathon is a BJP-promoted fitness and social-awareness marathon series used to spread public health messages, including anti-drug messaging, among youth across BJP-governed states including Haryana.
What is the Seva Sankalp Abhiyan?
Seva Sankalp Abhiyan is a BJP-organised outreach and service campaign that combines community welfare events with awareness drives on social issues such as drug abuse and public health.
Why is drug abuse a concern in Haryana?
Haryana shares a border with Punjab, a state with well-documented narcotics trafficking challenges, making several Haryana districts particularly vulnerable to drug abuse. State governments have run anti-drug campaigns since at least 2014.
Who is Nayab Singh Saini?
Nayab Singh Saini is the Chief Minister of Haryana and a BJP leader who assumed office in 2024, succeeding Manohar Lal Khattar.
What does 'Nashe ko na, Khel ko haan' mean?
'Nashe ko na, Khel ko haan' is a Hindi slogan meaning 'No to drugs, Yes to sport,' used by CM Saini to frame sport and fitness as a positive alternative to substance abuse for Haryana's youth.
