Nitin Nabin launches 4,000-km ‘Nasha Mukt Punjab Yatra’, targets AAP over drug crisis

BJP national president Nitin Nabin on Friday launched the party’s ‘Nasha Mukt Punjab Yatra’ from Pathankot, beginning a 13-day, nearly 4,000-km statewide campaign against drug abuse while mounting a sharp attack on the Aam Aadmi Party government over the narcotics problem, law and order and corruption.

Addressing a gathering at the launch, Nabin described drugs as an enemy that enters villages and homes silently before trapping entire families. He said the BJP wanted to take the campaign to every corner of Punjab by bringing communities together and turning the fight against narcotics into a mass movement. The campaign comes at a politically charged moment following the death of Dalit labourer Gulzar Singh, whose case has triggered allegations and counter-allegations between the ruling AAP and Opposition parties.

Four yatras, 117 seats

The BJP has planned four simultaneous yatras that will travel through all 117 Assembly constituencies of Punjab. Beginning from Pathankot, Fatehgarh Sahib, Fazilka and Talwandi Sabo, the four routes are expected to collectively cover around 4,000 km before converging in Jalandhar on September 30.

The party has framed the campaign around three issues — drug abuse, law and order and corruption — and plans to interact with families affected by addiction during the journey. Nabin also met people affected by the drug problem during his Pathankot visit.

Invoking Punjab's history and contribution to the country, the BJP chief said the state had given India the teachings of the Gurus, soldiers, sportspersons, entrepreneurs and food security, but its younger generation was now being pulled into drug abuse. He accused the state administration of failing to tackle the problem effectively and said the campaign would challenge what the BJP alleges is a nexus involving drugs, gangsters and corruption.

The ruling AAP has rejected the Opposition's charges and accused its rivals of politicising the drug issue. The state government has maintained that it has launched sustained enforcement and anti-drug measures in Punjab.

Gulzar death fuels row

The campaign has acquired additional political significance following the death of Gulzar Singh, a Dalit labourer who had publicly raised the issue of drugs during an interaction involving Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema.

Singh subsequently died after allegedly consuming a poisonous substance. His death sparked a political controversy after allegations emerged that he had faced harassment following the interaction. Opposition parties have demanded accountability and a probe into the circumstances surrounding his death.

Cheema has denied wrongdoing and accused Opposition parties of attempting to implicate him. Punjab Police have constituted a Special Investigation Team to examine the case, while the BJP has sought a CBI investigation.

The controversy has intensified the political battle over drugs in Punjab ahead of the 2027 Assembly election, with the BJP seeking to place the issue at the centre of its statewide outreach.

Bittu alleges attack

The yatra launch was also accompanied by a fresh political confrontation after BJP leader Ravneet Singh Bittu alleged that his cavalcade was attacked while he was travelling towards Pathankot to participate in the programme.

Bittu alleged that stones and eggs were thrown at vehicles in his convoy near Batala and claimed people associated with the ruling party were involved. He sought police action over the incident. The allegations have added another layer to the confrontation between the BJP and AAP as the anti-drug campaign gets underway.

The BJP's statewide mobilisation will continue until September 30, when the four yatras are scheduled to culminate at a rally in Jalandhar.