Jalandhar: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday put a December 31, 2029 deadline on his promise to make Punjab “drug-free” if the BJP comes to power in the state, while making drug abuse the central theme of his Jalandhar rally.
Shah said the BJP would fight the 2027 Assembly elections on the promise of a “Nasha Mukt Punjab” and urged young people to support the party, promising employment opportunities alongside efforts to tackle drug abuse.
Targeting the Bhagwant Mann government, Shah alleged that Punjab’s drug problem had worsened under the AAP government. He also questioned how those he accused of being linked to a liquor-related case in Delhi could claim to be capable of making Punjab drug-free.
Shah also focused on the human impact of drug abuse, saying he had met mothers who had lost their sons to drugs. He referred to one mother who, according to him, carried photographs of her two deceased children while appealing for Punjab to be saved.
On the state government’s anti-drug measures, Shah alleged that no anti-drug meeting had been held in Punjab during the past three years and claimed that the state had rejected a proposal to establish an NCB office in Jalandhar.
He also linked the drug issue to Punjab’s youth, saying the death of talented young people because of substance abuse was particularly painful. Shah promised that a BJP government would provide employment opportunities and work to take young people out of what he described as the “drug quagmire”.
The Home Minister also raised farmers’ concerns, alleging that the Punjab government had failed to fulfil its promise of MSP for 26 crops. He said a BJP government would work towards a permanent solution to farmers’ issues.
On women’s safety, Shah said it had become a serious issue in Punjab and promised that a BJP government would give it priority.
The rally was held amid a reported bomb threat. An email sent to Cambridge School allegedly claimed that an IED had been placed under the rally stage. Security agencies searched the area but reportedly found no explosive device.
