‘Yudh Nasheyan Virudh’ Just an Ad Campaign? Jhinjer Seeks White Paper on Punjab’s Anti-Drug Drive

Youth Akali Dal president questions crores spent on publicity, arrests of major drug kingpins, and rising drug deaths in Punjab

YOUTH AKALI DAL President Sarabjeet Singh Jhinjer on Tuesday accused the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government of wasting crores of rupees on advertisements under the banner of its anti-drug campaign ‘Yudh Nasheyan Virudh’, and demanded a White Paper detailing the real outcomes of its first phase.

Targeting AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal, Jhinjer said the Delhi-based leadership is the real power centre in Punjab, while Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has been reduced to a figurehead.

He alleged that key decisions on policy, publicity and priorities are dictated from Delhi, not Chandigarh.

As the government launches the second phase of ‘Yudh Nasheyan Virudh’ with massive publicity, Jhinjer said Kejriwal must first disclose how much public money was spent on flex boards, hoardings, political advertisements and paid news—both inside Punjab and outside the state—during the first phase.

Questioning the credibility of the anti-drug drive, Jhinjer asked how many major drug lords, organised drug cartels, kingpins and financiers were actually arrested, and how many court-sustainable cases were filed against them.

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He said Punjabis want to know whether the government targeted powerful drug networks or merely picked up small-time users and street-level peddlers for publicity.

He also demanded verified, district-wise data on drug seizures, stating that official press releases and inflated claims cannot replace hard evidence. “A real war on drugs is judged by dismantled cartels and convicted kingpins—not by posters, slogans and advertisements,” Jhinjer said.

Highlighting the worsening situation on the ground, Jhinjer said drug-related deaths in Punjab continue to rise even as the government spends heavily on publicity.

Families across the state are losing young sons and daughters to overdose and substance abuse, yet the government appears more focused on image management than saving lives. “If this was truly a war on drugs, the priority would be preventing deaths, not printing banners,” he said.

“The event today once again exposed who truly runs Punjab. Bhagwant Mann has been reduced to a figurehead, while Arvind Kejriwal controls governance from Delhi. If Kejriwal is serious about Punjab’s youth, he must answer these questions himself instead of hiding behind PR campaigns,” Jhinjer asserted.

Demanding accountability, Jhinjer said the proposed White Paper must also reveal how much additional taxpayers’ money is planned for advertisements in the second phase of ‘Yudh Nasheyan Virudh’.

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He said Punjab needs a results-driven anti-drug policy focused on dismantling drug cartels, strengthening enforcement, expanding rehabilitation, ensuring convictions, and stopping the rise in drug-related deaths. “Punjab’s youth deserve action, not slogans,” he said.
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