Kejriwal Fires Back at Amit Shah Over Drug Menace Across BJP-Ruled States

• by Akanksha Mishra
• 2026-10-22 16:59:00

Political tensions between the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) reached a boiling point on Thursday, October 22, 2026, as AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal launched a counter-offensive against Union Home Minister Amit Shah over the nationwide narcotics crisis. Responding directly to Shah’s recent remarks criticizing the Bhagwant Mann-led Punjab administration for failing to curb illicit narcotics, Kejriwal questioned the central government’s accountability in states ruled by the National Democratic Alliance. In a direct challenge posted on social media platform X, the former Delhi Chief Minister demanded to know why the illicit drug trade continues unchecked across key BJP-governed states like Gujarat, Bihar, Rajasthan, and Goa, questioning whether central enforcement agencies apply double standards when measuring regional deadlines.

The Delhi Counter-Attack: Kejriwal Questions BJP's Record Across Four Ruled States

The AAP national convener took aim at the central leadership's selective criticism regarding anti-drug enforcement:

Direct Questions on Accountability: Pointing to the widespread availability of illicit substances outside Punjab, Arvind Kejriwal posed a direct question to the Union Home Minister regarding why the drug menace has not been eliminated in Gujarat, Bihar, Rajasthan, and Goa despite long-running BJP governance.

Challenging Electoral Deadlines: In his message on X, Kejriwal asked if the central government maintains any fixed timeline or measurable deadlines for eradicating narcotics within BJP-ruled territories, or if such ultimatums are reserved exclusively for opposition-led border states ahead of assembly polls.

Mounting Pre-Election Rhetoric: The public dispute highlights how law enforcement, border monitoring, and substance abuse rehabilitation have taken center stage in the preliminary campaign skirmishes leading up to the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections.

Amit Shah’s Punjab Tour: Emotional Meetings and Failure Charges Against AAP

The war of words follows the Union Home Minister's tour across the border state earlier this week:

Sorrow Over Drug Fatalities: Addressing public gatherings during his Tuesday visit to Punjab, Amit Shah stated that meeting the grief-stricken families of victims who lost their lives to drug overdoses was among the most sorrowful moments of his political life.

Targeting the 3-Month Poll Promise: The Home Minister levied charges against the ruling AAP administration, reminding the public that the party had pledged to eradicate the state's illicit drug trade within three months of assuming office, yet substance abuse remains a pressing challenge.

December 2029 Eradication Pledge: Vowing direct central intervention to dismantle interstate drug syndicates, Shah promised the electorate of Punjab that an NDA-led double-engine administration would wipe out the drug trade by December 31, 2029.

Demanding Central Inquiries: Gurdaspur and Sangrur CBI Probe Push

During his visits to vulnerable border and rural districts, the Home Minister escalated pressure on the state government's investigative apparatus:

Ground Visits to Affected Families: Shah met directly with afflicted families in the border district of Gurdaspur, as well as in the southern Malwa districts of Sangrur and Mansa, to assess ground realities firsthand.

CBI Referral Demand: Pointing to systemic delays and alleged local patronages, Shah urged Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann to formally hand over two sensitive drug smuggling and overdose cases from Sangrur and Gurdaspur to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for an uncompromised probe.

Escalating Center-State Standoff: With AAP rejecting the central demand and countering with nationwide seizure data from western coastal ports, the dispute signals an intensifying confrontation over narcotics control jurisdiction between state police units and central intelligence bodies.

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