AAP and BJP Trade Blame Over Punjab Drug Crisis

Dhanda dismissed the BJP’s 'Drug-Free Punjab Yatra' as a political non-starter, claiming the campaign failed to gain public traction in Jalandhar. He characterized Shah’s recent criticisms of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann as a manifestation of frustration over poor attendance at BJP rallies. According to Dhanda, the roots of the current crisis were planted during the 2007–2017 Akali Dal-BJP coalition government, which he accused of allowing narcotics to infiltrate households across the state. He further argued that the drug trade is not localized to Punjab, alleging that similar issues persist in BJP-governed states like Gujarat and Haryana.

Conversely, Amit Shah has placed the burden of the current epidemic squarely on the AAP administration, asserting that the government has permitted the trade of 'chitta' to flourish unchecked. During his Jalandhar address, Shah declared that the BJP would center its entire upcoming assembly election campaign on the promise of a drug-free Punjab. He set a firm deadline, pledging that a BJP-led government would dismantle the synthetic drug trade by December 31, 2029. Beyond the drug debate, Dhanda also used the platform to advocate for a broader coalition, urging national participation in the Cockroach Janta Party’s youth-led movement to demand electoral reforms and greater transparency from the Election Commission.