Vijay Sampla questions CM Mann: ‘If There Are No Drugs in Punjab, Who Is the War Against Drugs For?
BJP leader demands Bhagwant Mann’s resignation over handling of drug menace
Babushahi Bureau
Chandigarh, October 16, 2026: Senior BJP leader and former Union Minister Vijay Sampla has criticised Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann over a high-level meeting convened in Phillaur to discuss Punjab’s drug problem, questioning the seriousness of the government’s response to the menace.
In a statement issued by the BJP office in Chandigarh, Sampla described the meeting as a one-sided address by the Chief Minister rather than a meaningful discussion on the drug problem.
“If there are no drugs in Punjab, then against whom is the ‘War Against Drugs’ being fought?” Sampla asked, referring to the Chief Minister’s reported remarks that the state’s drug problem was not as severe as it was being portrayed.
Sampla said senior officers from the IAS, IPS, PPS and PCS cadres were present at the meeting and alleged that the occasion should have been used for serious deliberations on tackling drug abuse and trafficking. Instead, he claimed, the Chief Minister delivered a prepared speech and left without addressing key concerns.
The BJP leader also alleged that Mann failed to address the killings of anti-drug activists or make any major announcement on the government’s campaign against drugs.
Taking a dig at the Chief Minister, Sampla accused him of blaming the Narendra Modi-led Central government even over minor issues and said Union Home Minister Amit Shah remained a frequent target of Mann’s criticism.
Sampla further said the Joint Justice Committee formed to seek justice for anti-drug activist Parvinder Jhota was demanding the resignations of both the Chief Minister and Punjab Director General of Police (DGP).
Demanding that Mann take moral responsibility for the situation, Sampla called for his immediate resignation. He warned that if the Chief Minister did not step down, the people of Punjab would remove his government from power.
The allegations were made by Sampla in his statement issued by the BJP office.