Punjab being singled out on drug menace to defame Punjabis: Mann

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Friday (October 16, 2026) hit out at the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government at the Centre, saying that while drugs were being sold rampantly in Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana, Punjab was being singled out and ‘Punjabis’ were being defamed, even as the BJP blamed the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) for the prevailing drug menace, gangsterism, corruption and deteriorating law and order in the State.

Mr. Mann, who chaired a meeting to review the State government’s flagship initiative — ‘Yudh Nashean Virudh’ (Fight Against Drugs) at Phillaur, asked the Centre to stop the flow of drugs across the international border and from Gujarat instead of maligning Punjab. He announced 117 new vehicles for Deputy Superintendents of Police (DSPs) to strengthen the crackdown and called for turning the fight against drugs into a people’s movement.

‘Social menace’

Mr. Mann said ‘Yudh Nashean Virudh’ had evolved into a mass movement aimed at safeguarding the future of the State and its younger generations. “Drugs are not merely a law-and-order challenge but a grave social menace threatening the dreams, aspirations and lives of thousands of young Punjabis. The government is firmly committed to dismantling the entire drug network and restoring the glory of Punjab,” he said. The mission could achieve lasting success only when every citizen became an active participant in this collective struggle.

Referring to the unfortunate incident of the killing of anti-drug crusader Parvinder Singh Jhota in Mansa, the Chief Minister said the matter would be dealt with firmly and that those found responsible would face exemplary punishment in accordance with the law. He asserted that every relevant aspect of the incident would be thoroughly investigated and that the conspiracy, if established by the investigation, would be exposed.

Meanwhile, the Punjab BJP State executive committee met in Sangrur, under the chairmanship of State president Kewal Singh Dhillon. Taking a dig at the AAP government, Mr. Dhillon blamed it for the prevailing drug menace, gangsterism, corruption and deteriorating law and order in the State.

Asserting the need for a BJP-led double-engine government in Punjab, he said that only the BJP could provide lasting solutions to the State’s problems. He said the meeting focused on shaping the party’s organisation and future strategy, while also preparing a chargesheet highlighting the failures of the AAP government.