Jalandhar: Union home minister Amit Shah on Wednesday asked people of Punjab to give BJP ‘Ek Mauka’ (one chance) in the upcoming assembly election to make Punjab ‘chitta mukt’ (drug free), and announced the deadline of Dec 31, 2029, to rid the state of the menace.He said there were several other pressing issues in Punjab, but BJP would contest the election solely on the promise of making Punjab drug-free.Addressing a BJP rally here, he blamed Aam Aadmi Party for Punjab’s drugs crisis. “Such a time has arisen that we have to give a call for making Punjab drug-free, because Aam Aadmi Party govt has allowed open trade of ‘chitta’ in the state. I have come to tell people of Punjab, that there are several serious issues in the state, including that of farmers, industry, law and order, women protection, but in the coming election, BJP will contest only and only on the issue of making Punjab ‘nasha mukt’ (drugs-free),” he said.“From here, I make a promise to the mothers and youths of Punjab — support BJP and vote for lotus in the upcoming assembly election and by Dec 31, 2029, Punjab will be free of drug trade,” he announced. “To make Punjab ‘nasha mukt’, BJP national president inaugurated an anti-drug yatra from Pathankot, which covered 4,000 km and all 117 assembly constituencies, which concluded here today,” he said.Shah promised that BJP would ensure Punjab’s industrial growth, find solutions to farmers’ problems and improve the state’s economic condition apart from providing employment to youths.“But don’t vote for us for all these things. These are of no use if Punjab continues to be in the grip of drugs. People should vote for BJP, only and only for making Punjab ‘nasha mukt’,” he emphasized.Apart from BJP national general secretary Tarun Chugh and state president Kewal Dhillon, all six Rajya Sabha members who switched from AAP to BJP attended the rally, as did former Union minister of state Ravneet Bittu, who Shah called “a close friend”.Before reaching the rally venue, Shah paid obeisance at Devi Talab Mandir. Opening his speech with Sikh slogan ‘Bole So Nihal Sat Sri Akal’, Shah mentioned Guru Teg Bahadur’s martyrdom and Guru Gobind Singh sacrificing his entire family to protect the country from Mughals. “Now also, we see that when slogans of ‘Bole So Nihal’ are raised, Pakistan army runs back,” he added.Punjab has always been known as India’s food bowl and its protector, he remarked. “Wherever there was a challenge to the country’s security, Punjabis were at the forefront to protect it. If sacrifices had to be made, they never hesitated. Before and after Independence, Punjabis remained ahead of everyone in protecting the country. It’s because of Punjabis’ sacrifices that the country got freedom,” the Union home minister said.“When I say that by Dec 20, 2029, we will make Punjab drug-free, I know what Kejriwal and Co. would say. I want to tell the people of Punjab that whatever we said, we delivered. In Prime Minister Modi’s leadership, BJP freed Kashmir of terrorism, ended the 50-year-old Naxal problem and ended terrorism in the North East. Now it is time to make Punjab ‘chitta mukt’,” he said.“I once again ask people of Punjab, especially the women, that after Dec 2029, there will be no one to supply ‘chitta’. They will all have been thrown in jails,” he said.“Mothers are demanding answers and taking out anti-drug rallies. I just met drugs-affected families. A mother carried photos of her two sons who died due to drugs. She said she wanted to save other mothers’ sons,” Shah said.Shah asked the audience, “Those who insult the Gurus in an inebriated state, can they free Punjab of drugs? Can AAP free Punjab of drugs? Only BJP can make Punjab drug-free. BJP has delivered. We ran a campaign in the country for Nasha Mukt India.”“People of Jalandhar can ask why this has not been achieved in Punjab. Remove this useless govt, and within two years we shall eradicate drugs,” Shah said, adding: “Punjab’s development cannot take place unless youths are freed of drugs. It’s destroying our coming generations. Only BJP, under Modi ji’s leadership, can ensure that drugs don’t reach youths of Punjab,” he said.“Punjab’s economic condition is very bad. Corruption cases are emerging one after the other,” he said, adding, “I ask Bhagwant Mann, what happened to your promises of providing 25 lakh jobs, filling 1.25 lakh vacancies, increase in widow pension to Rs 2,500, opening 16 medical colleges, increasing mining income to Rs 20,000 crore, which has rather dropped, to give MSP to farmers on all crops, and additional compensation of Rs 5 lakh to 1984 anti-Sikh riots victims?”“I would tell Bhagwant Mann that after doing nothing on all these issues, if he had made Punjab drug-free, people would still have forgiven him but the drug menace has instead increased in Punjab,” said the Union home minister.Taking a dig at AAP, he asked, “Those caught in liquor scam in Delhi, can they make Punjab drugs free? Mothers and youths will not allow Punjab’s future to be destroyed. You saw AAP and all others. Give BJP ‘ek mauka’ (a chance) and we will make Punjab drug free.”“During the 2004–2014 period, when Congress-led govt was at the Centre, around 26 lakh kg of heroin worth ₹40,000 crore was confiscated. And between 2014 and 2024, under BJP-led govt, around 1.20 crore kg of heroin, worth ₹1.9 lakh crore, was confiscated,” Shah said, adding: “Last year, 5,000 people were convicted and sent to jail under PIT-NDPS law in India, while large quantities of material linked to drugs and illegal assets were seized. But in Punjab, not even one person was held under this law. Can the chief minister answer this? The CM should also tell why Punjab govt did not participate in N-CORD meetings for the past two years,” he said.
