The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Wednesday rolled out the second phase of Punjab’s anti-drug campaign 'Yudh Nashean Virudh', seeking to expand its focus from law enforcement to wider public participation. Announcing the next phase at an event in Phagwara, AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal and Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann said the campaign would now rely more heavily on community-level reporting alongside continued police action. The announcement comes nearly ten months after the first phase began in March 2025.
Government Cites Arrests, Convictions & Seizures
Kejriwal said the first phase of the campaign resulted in a sharp increase in action against drug trafficking networks. According to figures shared by the government, nearly 28,000 cases were registered under the NDPS Act over the past ten months, with courts ordering imprisonment in about 88 per cent of cases heard so far. Around 42,000 people were arrested, including several high-value traffickers, while properties allegedly linked to drug proceeds were demolished.
The AAP leader alleged that previous governments had failed to address the issue despite repeated promises, and said visible enforcement had helped rebuild public confidence. He also pointed to seizures of narcotics and cash, as well as arrests linked to cross-border trafficking, as evidence of what he described as a more aggressive approach.
Village Defence Committees To Play Key Role
A central element of Phase II is the formation of Village Defence Committees (VDCs), groups of local volunteers tasked with identifying and reporting drug-related activity. The government said around 1.5 lakh volunteers have joined the committees so far. Members will use a dedicated mobile application to share information, with assurances that their identities will remain confidential. Monitoring, officials said, will be conducted at the Chief Minister’s Office to reduce the risk of local interference.
The campaign will also include padyatras across villages and urban wards later this month to encourage public involvement. A missed-call number has been issued to allow citizens to register their interest in joining the initiative.
Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said drug abuse should be treated as a social problem rather than only a criminal one, arguing that enforcement alone cannot solve it. He added that the government had upgraded de-addiction centres and expanded treatment capacity, while also stepping up surveillance along the international border to curb drone-based smuggling.
Official data shows that between March and December 2025, authorities seized large quantities of heroin and poppy husk, detected hundreds of drone movements along the border and confiscated properties allegedly created using drug money. Courts heard over 6,000 NDPS cases during this period, recording more than 5,300 convictions.
Senior AAP leaders said the second phase would focus on sustaining pressure on trafficking networks while increasing community engagement. The government reiterated that the campaign would continue until drug supply chains were dismantled, though opposition parties have questioned the long-term effectiveness of the strategy and the durability of conviction rates.