New Delhi [India], October 28 : Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday accused Union Home Minister Amit Shah of "preparing to push Punjab back into a drug crisis", alleging that a proposed alliance with an individual accused of selling drugs worth Rs 736 crore in the state could lead to drugs being brought into Punjab from Gujarat.
In a post on X, Kejriwal targeted the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) amid speculation about a possible alliance with the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and alleged that the proposed alliance "would bring back the drug crisis" and questioned whether drugs would be brought into the state from Gujarat.
"Amit Shah is preparing to plunge Punjab back into a drug crisis by forming an alliance with an individual who sold drugs worth ₹736 crore in Punjab and deposited the proceeds into his own bank accounts. Will drugs now be brought into Punjab via Gujarat to be sold there? The people of Punjab will never allow this to happen," Kejriwal wrote.
The remarks come ahead of the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections, which are expected to witness a high-stakes contest involving the incumbent AAP, the BJP and the Congress. The possibility of an alliance between the BJP and the SAD has emerged as a political flashpoint.
However, amid reports of an alliance between BJP and SAD, Punjab BJP President Kewal Singh Dhillon reiterated that the party will contest all 117 assembly seats in the state.
SAD broke away from the BJP in September 2020 over protests against the three farm laws. In the 2022 elections, Akali Dal won three seats while the BJP won only two.
The AAP has made the issue of drugs a key political point in the state. On Saturday, Kejriwal said that Amit Shah allying with SAD leader Bikram Singh Majithia to eradicate drugs from the state would be the “eighth wonder of the world.”
“Majithia and Amit Shah ji are extremely close, just like brothers. By allying with Majithia now, Amit Shah ji will eradicate drugs from Punjab. This will be the eighth wonder of the world. Wow, Modi ji, wow. What planning you've done,” the AAP leader posted on X.
Meanwhile, the Congress is also set to launch its election campaign in Punjab. Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi is scheduled to launch the party's campaign on November 4, marking an early push ahead of the 2027 electoral contest.
With the Assembly elections approaching, Punjab is expected to see an intensifying political battle among the AAP, BJP, and Congress.