# Shah promises drug-free Punjab by December 2029, AAP hits back 2026-09-30T22:21:34+00:00 | Governance | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 5 independent outlets (9 source reports) Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday, 30 September 2026, pledged that a BJP government in Punjab would make the state free of synthetic drugs, or 'chitta', by 31 December 2029. Speaking at the culmination of the BJP's 13-day 'Nasha Mukt Punjab Yatra' in Jalandhar's Kot Kalan village, Shah accused the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) of allowing the drug trade to flourish and said the BJP would contest the 2027 assembly polls solely on this issue. He cited a nationwide increase in narcotics seizures under the Modi government, claiming 1.2 crore kg of drugs worth Rs 1,90,000 crore were seized between 2014 and 2024. AAP hit back, asking Shah to stop using Punjab as a 'scapegoat' and to start his anti-drug campaign from Gujarat instead. It pointed to a seizure of 526 kg of heroin and methamphetamine worth over Rs 3,000 crore in an operation where Gujarat ATS provided intelligence. Punjab Congress chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring called Shah's deadline a 'long post-dated cheque of a crashing bank'. Former Punjab DGP Shashi Kant told India Today that no political party in Punjab was sincere about the drug crisis because of drug money. ## Indian Opinion Analysis Coverage splits sharply along political lines. Pro-government reports (Hindustan Times, ABP Live) lead with Shah's pledge and seizure figures, framing the BJP as the only party capable of tackling drugs. Government-critical outlets (India Today, NDTV) foreground AAP's rebuttal and the Gujarat seizure, while New Indian Express highlights anti-BJP hoardings in Jalandhar. The uniform fact is Shah's 2029 deadline and the cross-party blame game. The balanced reading is that the drug issue has become the central political battleground for the 2027 Punjab elections, with each side using selective data and accusations to shape the narrative. AAP's demand for a coordinated national investigation remains unanswered by Shah's speech. ## Coverage Coverage: 9 sources, 2 pro-government, 4 government-critical, 3 neutral - newindianexpress.com (government critical) Leads with anti-BJP hoardings and police action, not Shah's speech - abplive.com (neutral report) Reports Shah's speech and seizure figures without rebuttal - hindustantimes.com (pro government) Leads with Shah's pledge and attack on AAP, includes AAP rebuttal later - indiatoday.in (government critical) Quotes former DGP Shashi Kant saying no party is sincere - indiatoday.in (2) (government critical) Leads with AAP and Congress rebuttal, highlights Gujarat seizure - indiatoday.in (3) (neutral report) Summarises political row without taking a side - indiatoday.in (4) (neutral report) Summarises political row and includes Shashi Kant's view - ndtv.com (government critical) Leads with AAP's attack on BJP over drug record - ndtv.com (2) (pro government) Leads with Shah's promise and appeal to youth This brief was synthesised by AI from the 9 sources linked above, so one read covers every framing they carry. Tags: Aam Aadmi Party, Amit Shah, BJP, Gujarat ATS, Jalandhar, Punjab Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/shah-promises-drug-free-punjab-by-december-2029-aap-hits-back/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/shah-promises-drug-free-punjab-by-december-2029-aap-hits-back/#story-in-brief How this brief was made: an AI model read the reports linked above and wrote this summary and analysis, which were published automatically. Published briefs are sampled every hour by an automated quality check; the editor verifies its findings and approves corrections, and corrected briefs carry a dated correction line. Stance labels are editorial classifications of how each outlet framed this story, assigned by the same model, not ratings of the outlets. We do no original reporting. Methodology: https://indianopinion.org/ai-use-policy/