BJP’s ‘Nasha Mukt Punjab Yatra’ draws response in Gurdaspur; Iqbal Singh Lalpura targets AAP Govt
Babushahi Bureau
Gurdaspur (Punjab), September 20, 2026: BJP Parliamentary Board and Central Election Committee member Iqbal Singh Lalpura on Sunday called for turning the fight against drug abuse in Punjab into a mass public movement, as the party’s ‘Nasha Mukt Punjab Yatra’ reached Gurdaspur on its third day.
Addressing a rally at Hanuman Chowk, Lalpura reiterated the BJP’s stated resolve to make Punjab drug-free and urged people, particularly youth and families affected by substance abuse, to join the campaign.
The BJP had launched four statewide ‘Nasha Mukt Punjab Yatras’ on September 18, with the campaigns planned to cover all 117 Assembly constituencies and around 4,000 km before culminating in Jalandhar on September 30.
Lalpura alleged that the response to the yatra had unsettled the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government and criticised incidents in which protesters showed black flags to the campaign. He said the yatra should be viewed as an awareness campaign against drug abuse rather than merely a political programme.
He alleged that the AAP had promised to eradicate drugs within three months of coming to power but claimed the problem continued to affect families across Punjab. These were political allegations made by Lalpura at the rally.
“The fight against drugs is not merely the BJP’s fight; it is the fight of every family in Punjab,” Lalpura said, appealing to people to join the yatra beyond party lines.
He said drug abuse, gangsterism and crime remained major concerns for the state and called for collective efforts to address the problem.
Kahlon alleges drug trade in prisons
BJP Punjab vice-president and yatra coordinator Ravikaran Singh Kahlon said the campaign was aimed at protecting Punjab’s youth and addressing the wider social impact of drug abuse.
Kahlon alleged that prisons in Punjab had become centres of drug trafficking instead of functioning solely as correctional institutions, and questioned those opposing the yatra.
“If you are genuinely against drugs, come and walk with us,” Kahlon said, appealing to people to take the campaign to villages across the state.
BJP district chief calls for tackling drug menace at its roots
BJP Gurdaspur district president Baghail Singh said efforts to tackle drug abuse needed to address its underlying causes.
He said the BJP’s objective was to make Punjab drug-free and criticised the AAP government over its handling of the issue. His remarks were part of the BJP’s political criticism of the state government.
The yatra passed through Tibber, Lakh Data Darbar in Qadian, Harchowal, Sri Hargobindpur and Achal Sahib before reaching Batala.
BJP leaders meet families affected by drug abuse
Earlier, Lalpura and Kahlon met families affected by drug abuse and heard accounts of the difficulties they had faced. One woman told the leaders that two of her three sons had died due to drug abuse and that her third son was also struggling with addiction.
The families told the BJP leaders that their priority was to see their children and other young people protected from drugs. Lalpura assured the families of the party’s support and said the campaign would seek to turn public concern over drug abuse into a broader movement.
The BJP’s statewide campaign is scheduled to continue until September 30, when the four yatras are expected to converge in Jalandhar.