Uttarakhand Chief Minister and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Pushkar Singh Dhami on Saturday, 26 September launched a blistering attack on the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Punjab, accusing it of plunging the state deeper into a drug crisis and pledging to build an 'Ubharda Punjab' — a rising, developed, safe, and drug-free Punjab.

Dhami addressed public gatherings in Dasuha, Urmar, and Mukerian as part of the BJP's 'Nasha Mukt Punjab Yatra', a campaign the party is framing as a youth-focused anti-drug movement rather than conventional electoral outreach.

Key Allegations Against the AAP Government

Dhami alleged that the AAP administration had 'completely ruined Punjab by pushing the state into the fire of drugs', transforming what was once a prosperous state into what he called 'Udta Punjab'. He specifically targeted Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, alleging that drug peddlers had been given a 'free hand' while citizens who questioned the government faced harassment.

'This is a murderous government,' Dhami said, invoking Punjab's traditional value of Sarbat Da Bhala — the welfare of all — to underscore his charge that the state had failed its people. He also cited court observations, alleging that both the state government and the police had failed to act effectively against those running drug networks.

What the BJP Is Promising

Dhami said Prime Minister Narendra Modi had personally guaranteed to make Punjab drug-free, and that a complete roadmap had been prepared to deliver on that commitment. He sought to position the yatra not as a vote-seeking exercise but as a social movement. 'This is not a yatra to seek votes. It is a yatra to restore Punjab's lost pride and glory and to save the young children of mothers,' he said.

Former Union Minister Som Prakash alleged that drug supply had penetrated households across Punjab. He claimed that Bhagwant Mann and AAP's national convenor Arvind Kejriwal had promised to eliminate drugs within three months of coming to power, but that more than four-and-a-half years had passed without results.

Local BJP Leaders Amplify the Attack

Mukerian BJP MLA Jangi Lal Mahajan said Modi had a record of following through on commitments, and urged the public to back the party's anti-drug campaign. He claimed a detailed plan was in place to tackle the menace should the BJP return to power in the state.

Context and Background

Punjab's drug problem has been a recurring political flashpoint for successive governments. When AAP swept to power in 2022 with a landslide majority, eliminating drugs was among its most prominent poll promises. Critics, including the BJP and Congress, have argued that delivery has fallen short. The 'Nasha Mukt Punjab Yatra' signals that the BJP intends to keep the issue at the centre of its Punjab political strategy ahead of the next state election cycle. This is not the first time a senior BJP leader from outside Punjab has been deployed to campaign on the drug issue, reflecting the party's effort to project national leadership on a state-specific concern.