He further said that the Governor should have reflected on Punjab's recent history before embarking on such a yatra.
CHANDIGARH, 10th February 2026: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Punjab Chief Spokesperson and MLA Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal on Tuesday raised serious questions over the so-called anti-drug yatra initiated by Punjab Governor Gulab Chand Kataria, saying that while the AAP government has been consistently leading the fight against drugs across the state, the Governor’s parallel yatra sends a deeply troubling message about who he is choosing to stand with.
Addressing a press conference at the AAP office, Punjab Chief Spokesperson Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal said, “Under the guidance of CM Bhagwant Singh Mann and AAP National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal, the AAP government has been continuously carrying out anti-drug yatras across Punjab. These yatras are not symbolic; they are part of a sustained, on-ground battle against drugs. However, rattled by the success of our government’s efforts, the Governor has now started his own separate yatra, and both the method adopted and the people involved in it raise several serious questions.”
Making it clear that the AAP does not oppose any genuine effort against drugs, Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal said, “We want every individual, every organisation, and every institution to become part of the fight against drugs. But it is deeply condemnable that the Governor is walking alongside those very people who are themselves responsible for spreading drugs in Punjab.”
Taking strong exception to the composition of the yatra, Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal said, “A yatra in which Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal and BJP leader Ashwani Sharma are seated together cannot be aimed at eradicating drugs. Such a spectacle does not inspire confidence; instead, it appears to be an exercise that shields criminals rather than confronting them.”
He further said that the Governor should have reflected on Punjab’s recent history before embarking on such a yatra. “Before starting this yatra, the Governor should have understood who brought the so-called ‘sixth river’ of drugs to the land of five rivers. From 2007 to 2017, when these forces were in power, drugs flourished openly in Punjab. Today, the same people are sharing the stage with the Governor. These are the very people who, while in power, provided shelter and protection to drug traffickers,” he said.
Expressing concern over the moral message being sent out, the AAP leader said, “The people of Punjab today want to know with what face those forces that destroyed the youth of Punjab are taking out an anti-drug yatra. By standing with them, the Governor is encouraging the very forces that pushed Punjab’s future into darkness.”
Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal said that if the Governor was truly serious about eliminating drugs, he should have chosen a very different path. “If the Governor genuinely wants to fight drugs, he should walk alongside those people and organisations who have been honestly fighting this menace at the grassroots level for many years. Since the formation of the Aam Aadmi Party government, drugs have been our biggest challenge, and for the past four years we have been fighting a decisive and sustained battle against it.”
Concluding, Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal said that the participation of individuals who ruined Punjab in the Governor’s yatra has deeply disappointed the people of the state. “The people of Punjab are watching everything closely. They know who is fighting against drugs and who is standing with those who sell drugs. The AAP government will continue its campaign with full commitment, but the people of Punjab will never support any yatra carried out in collaboration with the political patrons of drug traffickers,” he said.
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