BJP to make Punjab drug-free by 2029 if voted to power: Amit Shah

Union Home Minister Amit Shah accused Punjab's AAP government of letting the drug trade flourish. He promised that if elected, the BJP would make Punjab drug-free by December 31, 2029, making it the party's main issue for the upcoming polls.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday alleged that the AAP government in Punjab had allowed the trade of “chitta” (synthetic drugs) to flourish openly and vowed that the BJP would make Punjab free from the drug trade by December 31, 2029, if voted to power.

BJP's Poll Plank: A Drug-Free Punjab

Addressing the BJP’s Nasha Mukt Punjab Yatra in Jalandhar, Shah said the BJP would make a drug-free Punjab the central issue of its campaign in the upcoming Assembly election. “Why has the time come today to make Punjab drug-free? Because the AAP party government allowed the trade of chitta (synthetic drugs) to flourish openly,” Shah said.

He added, “I have come today to tell the people of Punjab that in the Punjab elections, there are many issues—farmers' issues, industry issues, law and order issues, women's safety issues. But the upcoming election, the Bharatiya Janata Party, is going to fight solely and purely on the issue of a drug-free Punjab, for a drug-free Punjab.”

Shah also appealed to the people of Punjab to support the BJP and said the party would work towards ending the trade of chitta by the end of 2029. “Today from here, I promise the mothers and youth of Punjab that in this election, support the BJP, vote for the lotus flower, and before December 31, 2029, we will free Punjab from the trade of chitta,” he said.

Shah Lauds Punjab's Legacy and Sacrifices

The Union Home Minister began his address by paying tribute to the Sikh Gurus and other prominent figures associated with Punjab, including Maharaja Ranjit Singh, Sardar Teja Singh Samundri, Bhagat Singh and Udham Singh.

He said Punjab had historically contributed to the country's food security through its farmers and had made significant sacrifices in defending India's borders. “Whenever there was a need for food items in the country, the farmer of Punjab used to fill our granaries and warehouses, and the farmer of Punjab still fills them,” Shah said.

He also praised the contribution of Punjab’s youth to the country's security, saying the state had made sacrifices both before and after Independence.

Shah arrived in Jalandhar to address the public rally as part of the BJP’s Nasha Mukt Punjab Yatra. During his visit, he also visited Shri Devi Talab Mandir in Jalandhar. (ANI)

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