Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday set December 31, 2029, as the BJP’s deadline to make Punjab drug-free if the party is voted to power in the 2027 Assembly elections, placing the drug menace at the centre of its political campaign in the state.
Addressing the concluding rally of the BJP’s ‘Nasha Mukt Punjab Yatra’ in Jalandhar, Shah appealed to the people to “give BJP one chance” and promised firm action against those involved in the drug trade. The BJP has made eradication of drugs its principal electoral plank in Punjab ahead of the 2027 polls.
Shah said the BJP had tackled terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir and brought down extremism in the Northeast, and now its focus would be on freeing Punjab from drugs.
The rally came against the backdrop of a bomb threat that triggered a security alert across Jalandhar hours before Shah’s arrival. Several private schools reportedly received an email warning of bomb blasts at multiple locations, including schools, the rally venue, Shri Devi Talab Mandir and the court complex. Security agencies launched checks and intensified surveillance at the locations mentioned in the threat.
The email, reportedly sent from an unidentified Gmail account, was received by multiple school email IDs, including MGN Urban Estate Phase 2 and Cambridge Innovative School in Jalandhar. Schools in Amritsar were also reported to have received a similar communication. Authorities were investigating the source and credibility of the threat.
Despite the heightened security, Shah went ahead with the rally and launched a direct attack on the Aam Aadmi Party government in Punjab. He accused the state government of failing to check the drug trade and blamed it for what he described as deteriorating law and order and corruption.
Shah said the BJP would fight the 2027 Assembly election primarily on the promise of making Punjab free from drugs. He asserted that the party delivers on the commitments it makes and said that, if voted to power, his government would deal firmly with those involved in manufacturing and selling narcotics.
The Home Minister referred to his interaction with families whose members had been affected by drug abuse, saying he had seen the devastation caused by addiction first-hand. He assured such families that the BJP government would take stringent action against the drug network.
Punjab’s historical legacy also figured prominently in Shah’s address. Paying tribute to freedom fighters and martyrs including Shaheed Bhagat Singh and Udham Singh, he said Punjab had once been synonymous with bravery, agriculture and prosperity but was now confronting the serious challenge of drug abuse.
The BJP’s anti-drug campaign has been building momentum across the state over the past fortnight. Its Nasha Mukt Punjab Yatra, launched on September 18, covered all 117 Assembly constituencies through four routes and travelled nearly 4,000 km before culminating in Jalandhar.
Shah also sought to broaden the BJP’s message beyond the drug issue. He assured farmers that their concerns would be addressed and promised efforts to revive Punjab’s industrial sector and generate employment opportunities for the state’s youth.
With the 2027 Assembly elections approaching, the Jalandhar rally marked a clear attempt by the BJP to put the drug crisis at the centre of its Punjab campaign. Shah’s 2029 deadline now gives the party a sharply defined political promise around which it can build its electoral narrative.
