Now Reading: Shah promises drug-free Punjab by December 2029, AAP hits back
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Shah promises drug-free Punjab by December 2029, AAP hits back
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: 9 sources, 2 pro-government, 4 government-critical, 3 neutral
Sources (9): newindianexpress.com (government critical), abplive.com (neutral report), hindustantimes.com (pro government), indiatoday.in (government critical), indiatoday.in (2) (government critical), indiatoday.in (3) (neutral report), indiatoday.in (4) (neutral report), ndtv.com (government critical), ndtv.com (2) (pro government)
This brief was synthesised by AI from the 9 sources linked above, so one read covers every framing they carry. Methodology and corrections.
