Sachin Pilot accuses BJP-led Centre of failing to curb Punjab drug trafficking
Synopsis
Congress General Secretary Sachin Pilot has called the BJP's 12-year Central rule a failure on Punjab's drug crisis, alleging drone-based narcotics smuggling from Pakistan went unchecked — and in a striking escalation, claimed Punjab's current law-and-order situation is worse than its peak insurgency years. The remarks, delivered mid-tour in Chandigarh, are a direct preview of Congress's Punjab election pitch.
Key Takeaways
Sachin Pilot accused the BJP -led Centre of failing to stop drone-based drug smuggling from Pakistan into Punjab during a press interaction in Chandigarh on 16 October .
Pilot argued that the BJP had been in power at the Centre for 12 years without adequately deploying the Defence and Home Ministries to curb cross-border trafficking.
He also implicated the Shiromani Akali Dal -BJP alliance, saying both parties shared responsibility during their tenure in the state.
Pilot cited the alleged murder of anti-drug activist Parvinder Singh Jhota in Mansa and incidents of gangs firing in broad daylight as evidence of a collapsed law-and-order framework.
He claimed Punjab's current situation is 'even worse than when terrorism was at its peak' — a remark likely to face sharp pushback from the ruling AAP and the BJP.
Pilot is on a five-day visit to Punjab, aimed at meeting families of violence victims and reviewing the status of police investigations.
Indian National Congress (INC) General Secretary and Punjab unit in-charge Sachin Pilot on Friday, 16 October accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Central government of failing to halt cross-border drug trafficking into Punjab, making the remarks during his ongoing five-day visit to the state. Pilot delivered the broadside at a press interaction in Chandigarh, squarely targeting the Centre's Defence and Home Ministries over drone-based narcotics smuggling from Pakistan.
What Pilot Said About the BJP and Drug Trafficking
'The BJP has been in power at the Centre for 12 years. What have the Defence and Home Ministries done to stop drugs being smuggled from Pakistan through drones? It is easy to talk about drugs, but the BJP has failed to fulfil the responsibilities entrusted to it,' Pilot told reporters.
The Congress leader did not spare the BJP's earlier alliance partner either, stating that 'when the BJP was in power in alliance with the Shiromani Akali Dal, they were responsible too.' He added that the BJP's renewed focus on the drug menace was motivated by 'upcoming Assembly polls' in the state rather than genuine concern.
Law-and-Order Allegations and Gang Violence
Pilot also trained his attack on the Punjab state administration, alleging a collapse of law and order. 'Gangsters have been firing at people in broad daylight. People have been murdered in several places, and the state administration has failed to control gang violence,' he said.
He specifically cited the alleged murder of anti-drug activist Parvinder Singh Jhota in Punjab's Mansa district, describing it as emblematic of an 'atmosphere of violence' where crimes are being committed on live video. 'The police and the administration have become helpless because of which the gangsters are enjoying a free run,' he said.
In a strikingly strong claim, Pilot asserted that 'the current situation in Punjab is even worse than when terrorism was at its peak in the state' — a statement likely to draw sharp rebuttal from both the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Punjab and the BJP at the Centre.
Pilot's Outreach Plan Across Punjab
Framing his five-day visit as a ground-level fact-finding and condolence mission, Pilot said his aim is to 'reach every home in Punjab where people have been shot, share the sorrows of the bereaved family and look into the status of the probe following the incident, whether the accused have been punished or not.'
He also flagged incidents of bombs being hurled at police stations and officers being shot, vowing that Congress would 'try its best to bring an improvement to the current situation.'
Political Context and What Comes Next
The remarks come amid heightened political activity in Punjab ahead of the next Assembly election cycle. The state has been a recurring flashpoint over the drug-trafficking issue, with successive governments — Congress, Akali Dal-BJP, and the current Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) — all facing scrutiny over their handling of narcotics and organised crime. Notably, Congress itself governed Punjab from 2017 to 2022, a period critics have also pointed to in this debate. Pilot's visit signals the party's intent to rebuild its footprint in a state it lost to AAP in a landslide in 2022. How the BJP and the Punjab government respond to his charges is expected to define the next phase of the state's political discourse.
Point of View
Not assertion. For Congress, the visit is less about accountability and more about signalling relevance in a state AAP swept; the BJP's response — and whether AAP's Punjab government is drawn into the crossfire — will determine whether this tour moves the political needle.
NationPress
16 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What did Sachin Pilot say about BJP and Punjab drug trafficking?
Sachin Pilot accused the BJP-led Central government of failing to use its 12 years in power to stop drone-based drug smuggling from Pakistan into Punjab. He said the Defence and Home Ministries had not done enough, and that the BJP's current focus on the issue was driven by upcoming Assembly polls rather than genuine intent.
Why is Sachin Pilot visiting Punjab?
Pilot is on a five-day visit to Punjab as the Congress party's state in-charge. He said his aim is to visit homes of people killed in gang violence, offer condolences to bereaved families, and review the status of police probes into those killings.
What did Pilot say about law and order in Punjab?
Pilot alleged that law and order in Punjab had 'collapsed,' with gangsters firing at people in broad daylight and bombs being hurled at police stations. He made the striking claim that the current situation is worse than during Punjab's peak insurgency years, citing the alleged murder of anti-drug activist Parvinder Singh Jhota in Mansa as a specific example.
Who else did Pilot hold responsible for Punjab's drug problem?
Beyond the BJP-led Centre, Pilot also held the earlier BJP-Shiromani Akali Dal alliance government in Punjab partially responsible, saying both parties shared accountability for the state of affairs during their combined tenure.
What is the political context of Pilot's Punjab visit?
The visit comes as Congress attempts to rebuild in Punjab after losing the 2022 Assembly election to the Aam Aadmi Party in a landslide. With the next election cycle approaching, Pilot's tour is widely seen as the party's effort to re-establish grassroots connect and frame a narrative around law-and-order and drug policy failures.
