Center must stop treating Punjab drug crisis as ‘political opportunity’: AAP minister on Shah’s visit

As Home Minister Amit Shah challenged the AAP government in Punjab over the drug menace, state Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema on Tuesday (Oct 20, 2026) said Amit Shah must explain what the Center has done to dismantle drug supply chains operating beyond Punjab’s borders.

He also accused the central government of not cracking down on synthetic drug manufacturers operating in BJP- and Congress-ruled states despite repeated calls by Punjab, and said the Center must stop treating Punjab’s drug crisis as a “political opportunity”.

Mr Cheema’s reaction came as Mr Shah met relatives of victims of the drug menace in Punjab and said he had come to remind the AAP government and its leaders that they had promised to eradicate the drug trade within three months of coming to power, but it was growing.

“I have met and consoled families at various places who have lost their relatives in tragic events… I have never felt so deeply saddened in my life… the situation in Punjab that they have described has shaken us,” Mr Shah said.

In a statement, Mr. Cheema alleged that while the AAP government took strict action against drug peddlers, the Center continued to ignore the sources supplying synthetic and pharmaceutical drugs that were being misused as narcotics in Punjab.

The AAP leader said the government led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann would continue the fight against drugs with full force and would not allow “political considerations or administrative hurdles” to weaken its resolve.

“The main sources of synthetic and pharmaceutical drugs flooding Punjab are in BJP and Congress-ruled states, but the central government has failed to take decisive action against those who manufacture and supply these substances. Punjab is fighting this menace on the ground, but the Center is turning a blind eye to the serious threat to the lives of our youth,” he said.

“The most shocking fact is that there is no manufacturing of prescription drugs that are misused as narcotics in Punjab. These factories are operating in Haryana, Baddi in Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan and Ahmedabad in Gujarat. The Center must explain why it failed against the sources of this supply chain,” he said.

In a statement, Mr Cheema said: “Drugs like Pregabalin, Gaba, Tramadol, Zopiclone, Flu Practsol and Carisoprodol are being abused as narcotics in Punjab, even though these drugs can only be obtained on prescription. The Punjab government has repeatedly sought stricter legal measures to stop this abuse, but the Center has not given any concrete response.”

“The Punjab Health Department has sent letters to the Central Government on October 31, 2025 and September 21, 2026, requesting the inclusion of these drugs in the list of the NDPS Act,” Punjab Health Minister Dr Balbir Singh also wrote to the Centre.

“Despite these repeated statements, the government has not taken any concrete steps. Why is the Center unwilling to close this legal loophole when the lives of our youth are at stake?” he asked.

The minister recalled that when he was the Punjab Excise and Taxation Minister, he had written two letters to the central government demanding strict legislation to prevent the misuse of methyl alcohol, which is meant exclusively for industrial purposes.

“Instead of providing an effective solution, Union Minister Piyush Goyal has referred to outdated laws, including the Flammable Substances Act, 1952, the Petroleum Act, 1934 and the Poisons Act, 1919. This is no way to address a serious public safety crisis,” he claimed.

On Mr Shah’s day-long visit to Punjab on Tuesday (October 20), Cheema said the Union home minister had to answer “some basic questions”, including what specific steps the central government had taken to stop the infiltration of drugs across the international border into Punjab.

“The Punjab government has requested financial assistance from the Center to strengthen the Punjab Police, but no financial support has been provided. Punjab has had to build its own anti-drone system using its own resources to dismantle drug-trafficking modules that operate through drones originating in Pakistan. Why does Punjab have to bear this financial burden alone when border security and combating cross-border smuggling require effective coordination?” he said.

Mr Cheema said Punjab was taking action against drug networks “despite the lack of central assistance”.

“The Center cannot continue to shirk responsibility while the state government commits its resources and personnel to protect the people of Punjab. Amit Shah must explain what his government has done to dismantle supply chains operating outside Punjab’s borders,” Mr Cheema said.

He also alleged that the BJP wants to turn Punjab into a battleground for its political interests instead of working with the state to eradicate drug networks.

“The people of Punjab need decisive action, stricter laws and accountability from the Centre, not political rhetoric,” he said.

Published – 20 Oct 2026 19:42 IST