-Arvind Kejriwal is not fighting against drugs, his target is Rajya Sabha seat for himself
CHANDIGARH: A growing number of youth suicides linked to drug overdoses in Punjab has raised serious questions about the efficacy and reach of the anti-drug campaign launched by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann.
The opposition parties have castigated Mann and Kejriwal for lopsided approach to fight menace of drugs. The misrepresentation of facts in advertisement campaign only painted grim side of governance. Opposition takes a dig on Kejriwal saying his fight is not against drugs, his target is Rajya Sabha seat for himself, "
The campaign, originally launched by Bhagwant Mann with much fanfare in June 2023 was relaunched in March 2025 under the banner "Yudh Nasheyan Virudh". The third chapter of anti-drug campaign named 'Nasha Mukti Yatra' was launched on May 16, 2025 by Arvind Kejriwal, making final assault against drugs."
Kejriwal and Bhagwant Mann had promised sweeping reforms and a zero-tolerance approach to drug trafficking and abuse. However, grim statistics and heart-wrenching cases suggest that the ground reality remains dire.
Reports from various districts including Tarn Taran, Moga, Amritsar, and Bathinda reveal a disturbing rise in youth suicides resulting from heroin, synthetic drug, and opioid overdose. According to official data from Punjab Police and the state health department, over 400 drug-related deaths have been recorded in the past year alone, many of them suspected suicides among addicts who either relapsed or failed to receive adequate treatment.
Social activists and families of victims report that many youth are driven to suicide due to shame, failed rehabilitation efforts, and easy availability of narcotics despite heavy policing and surveillance. The increase in cases has triggered public outrage and calls for a more holistic and transparent approach to fighting drug abuse.
As many as 14 alleged drug overdose deaths have been reported in Punjab over the past two weeks, the reports from state said. At least six Punjab youth had died due to over dose in the last three days coinciding with the 'Nasha Mukti Yatra' led by Arvind Kejriwal.
Manpreet Singh aged 25 resident of village Bakho peer in Sangrur district had died of drug overdose on May 18. His dead body was recovered from the bathroom in his house. He was unmarried and only son of his widowed mother.
In second case Milanjot Singh(22) of village Wadala near Kharar in Mohali district had died with drug overdose on May 18. After his death the drug supplier Ajay Kumar was also arrested. Milanjot had reportedly joined a group of four youth of village to get the drug dose and his condition deteriorated after drug was injected in his body.
The third youth too died on May 18, identified as Karanbir Singh (19) resideny of Muradpur Basti in Tarn Taran. He injected drugs in his private part at 7 AM and he died at 7.30 AM, after half an hour. Kanwaljit Kaur mother of the deceased said that drugs are easily available in their village and even small children became habitual of drugs.
A 30 year old youth today died due to overdose of heroin in Basarke village near Attari in Amritsar district on May 17.The deceased has been identified as Jaswinder Singh.
The dead body of an unidentified youth who died due to drug overdose was recovered in Attari on May 14. Yet another 19 year old youth Anmol Singh had died in village Payal due to drug overdose on May 5 last.
In 2023, CM Bhagwant Mann, along with Arvind Kejriwal, launched an ambitious anti-drug campaign aimed at uprooting the drug menace from Punjab. One of the key feature was strict action against corrupt police officers allegedly aiding drug cartels. However AAP government failed to follow its rules and in many cases allowed the guilty policemen to escape the net. The cases of AIG Raj Jeet Singh and Head constable Amandeep Kaur of Bhathida are two test cases in which Bhagwant Mann failed. There is long list of such lapses.
Despite these steps, critics argue that the campaign has not translated into ground-level change. Many de-addiction centers remain understaffed or ill-equipped, and there is no clear rehabilitation strategy for long-term recovery.
"The political will is there, but implementation is weak, " says Manjit Singh, a retired school principal in Amritsar whose nephew died of an overdose earlier this year. "We see police patrolling and posters, but the drugs are still flowing."
Several families allege that drug smugglers operate with impunity and accuse local officials of turning a blind eye. In some cases, narcotics are being delivered to addicts via courier services or supplied openly in villages and urban slums. Demolishing illegal houses of small peddlers in a bid to draw a hardline against drugs too boomeranged when people expected bulldozer action against big fish.
As Punjab grapples with this crisis, the challenge before the government is not just to arrest the supply of drugs but to heal a generation caught in the grip of despair. The true measure of the anti-drug campaign's success will not lie in headlines but in the lives it manages to save and transform.