Punjab Drug-Free By 2029: Amit Shah Sets December 31 Deadline For Ending ‘Chitta’ Trade

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday pledged to make Punjab free of illicit ‘chitta’ trade by December 31, 2029.

Addressing an anti-drug rally in Jalandhar, Shah said the BJP would make a drug-free Punjab a central issue in the 2027 Assembly elections. He urged mothers and young people to support the party and vote for the lotus symbol.

“Why has the need arisen today to make Punjab drug-free? Because the Aam Aadmi Party government has allowed the ‘chitta’ trade to operate openly,” he said.

The Minister’s address marked the culmination of the BJP’s 13-day ‘Nasha Mukt Punjab Yatra’, which covered all 117 Assembly constituencies and nearly 4,000 km.

“I have come today to tell the people of Punjab that there are several issues in the state’s elections… issues concerning farmers, industry, law and order, and women’s safety. But the Bharatiya Janata Party will contest the upcoming election solely on the issue of making Punjab drug-free,” he said.

Shah accused the AAP government of failing to curb the drug trade and said the Centre would strengthen efforts to disrupt supply chains and cross-border smuggling. He recalled Punjab’s contribution to India’s food security and national security.

The Minister said farmers had repeatedly filled the country’s granaries, while Punjabis had made sacrifices to protect India’s borders.

Before the rally, Shah met families affected by drug abuse and heard their experiences.

The BJP campaign, held under the slogan ‘BJP da Naara, Nasha Mukauna Saara’, focused on drug abuse, law and order and corruption.

The campaign comes ahead of the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections, with the BJP seeking to make the drug issue a major electoral theme.

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