Punjab Politics 2026: Opposition Parties Launch Indefinite Protest Over Drug Menace and Sangrur Incidents | Indian Rajneeti
BREAKING
Uttar Pradesh Politics Heats Up as Yogi Adityanath Targets 115 Key Seats Ahead of 2027 Assembly Polls • Rajasthan Civic Polls 2026: Voting Begins as BJP Faces Rebel Challenge • Yogi Adityanath Targets 2027 UP Elections, Says BJP Will Return With a Grand Majority
Punjab Politics 2026: Opposition Parties Launch Indefinite Protest Over Drug Menace and Sangrur Incidents
Haripriya 22 Sept 2026 10 min read 109 views
Punjab's political debate over the drug menace has intensified after opposition parties announced an indefinite protest in Sangrur, citing recent incidents involving people who had publicly raised concerns about alleged drug sales.
The development comes as political parties step up their activities ahead of the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government has defended its record on tackling drugs, while opposition parties have accused the government of failing to adequately address the problem and protect people who raise concerns about it.
According to The Economic Times, opposition parties including the Congress, Shiromani Akali Dal (Badal), BJP and smaller political and social organisations have formed a 21-member joint action committee to coordinate the protest. The committee has announced a pucca morcha near Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann's residence in Sangrur from September 22.
Maharashtra's decision to declare 265 talukas drought-affected has triggered questions from both ruling alliance leaders and the Opposition. While some areas represented by Mahayuti leaders have been excluded, the MVA has questioned the transparency of the assessment process.
The joint action committee has named its campaign the Mohanjeet Singh-Gulzar Singh Insaf Morcha, referring to two Sangrur residents whose cases have become part of the political debate over the state's drug problem.
The committee includes representatives from the Congress, BJP, SAD-Badal, farmers' organisations, Waris Punjab De and other social organisations.
Among those associated with the committee are Punjab Congress spokesperson Rajinder Deepa, SAD-Badal's Winnerjit Singh Goldy, BJP leader Daaman Thind Bajwa, and farmer representatives Kaka Singh Kotra and Jaswinder Singh.
The committee reportedly visited the Golden Temple along with the families of the two whistleblowers before beginning the protest.
A pucca morcha in Punjab generally refers to an indefinite protest in which participants establish a temporary camp and remain at the site until their demands are addressed.
Opposition's Demands
The joint action committee has demanded action in cases involving people who allegedly faced threats or police action after raising concerns about drugs.
According to The Economic Times, the committee has demanded an FIR against Punjab minister Harpal Singh Cheema and sought the suspension and registration of FIRs against four police officials whom it alleges were involved in the case concerning Mohanjeet Singh. These are demands and allegations made by the opposition-led committee and are not established findings against the individuals named.
The committee says the cases raise questions about how complaints concerning alleged drug activity are handled and whether people reporting such activity receive adequate protection.
Mohanjeet Singh Case
One of the cases highlighted by the protesters involves Mohanjeet Singh, who reportedly raised the issue of drugs during a Lok Milni programme attended by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann.
According to the Economic Times report, Mohanjeet allegedly displayed a black flag while questioning the government's record on the drug issue and was subsequently taken into police custody.
He later alleged that he had been subjected to custodial torture, including physical assault and electric shocks, and alleged the involvement of a DSP-rank police officer.
These allegations have been cited by the opposition as part of its demand for action. The claims should be distinguished from any findings that may emerge from an official investigation.
Gulzar Singh's Death
The protest is also linked to the death of Gulzar Singh, a farm labourer from Toor Banjara village in Sangrur district.
According to the Economic Times report, Gulzar Singh had raised concerns about the availability of “chitta” and his son's drug addiction during a visit by Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema to the village on September 6.
His family and a video recorded before his death said that he had alleged being threatened after raising the issue. He subsequently consumed poison and died. The circumstances surrounding his death have become a subject of political dispute.
Opposition parties have cited the incident while demanding greater protection for people who raise concerns about drug availability.
Latest Sangrur Incident Involving Jagga Singh
A separate incident involving Jagga Singh has further intensified the political dispute.
According to reports by The Times of India and Hindustan Times, Jagga Singh, a resident of Namol village in Sangrur, allegedly consumed a poisonous substance outside the Sangrur administrative complex on Sunday after claiming that he had been threatened following his posts about alleged drug sales in the village. He was taken to hospital and later shifted to Rajindra Hospital in Patiala for treatment.
Jagga Singh alleged that the village sarpanch and his associates threatened and assaulted him and his family after he uploaded a video alleging the sale of synthetic narcotics, commonly referred to as “chitta”.
However, the police version differs from some of the allegations being made by opposition parties.
Sangrur police said an FIR had been registered against the sarpanch and seven others based on Jagga Singh's complaint, and that the investigation was underway. Police also said Jagga Singh had nine previous criminal cases registered against him and had been convicted in four cases, including an NDPS case.
Police said his statement would be recorded after doctors permitted it.
AAP's Response
The AAP government has rejected the opposition's allegations and accused opposition parties of turning the incidents into a political issue.
Punjab AAP president and Cabinet Minister Aman Arora said opposition leaders were attempting to create what he described as a false political narrative about the government's handling of the drug problem.
Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema also criticised the opposition's response to the Jagga Singh case.
According to the Economic Times, Cheema alleged that Jagga Singh himself had been accused of involvement in drug-related activity and pointed to the cases registered against him. The allegation is part of the government's political response and should not be treated as an independent finding of guilt in the current dispute.
The police have separately confirmed the existence of previous cases against Jagga Singh, including convictions, while an investigation into the latest complaint remains underway.
Opposition Raises Law and Order Questions
Opposition parties (opens in a new tab) have connected the Sangrur incidents with the wider question of law and order and drug enforcement in Punjab.
BJP leaders Tarun Chugh and Gaurav Bhatia criticised the AAP government, alleging that people who raise concerns about drug sales are being targeted instead of the alleged drug networks.
Punjab Leader of Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa also raised questions about the safety of people speaking about the drug problem.
These are opposition allegations and political criticisms. The police investigation into the latest Sangrur complaint is separate from those political claims.
BJP's Nasha Mukt Punjab Yatra
The controversy comes amid the BJP's statewide Nasha Mukt Punjab Yatra.
The BJP began the 13-day campaign from Pathankot on September 18. According to The Indian Express, four parallel yatras are covering nearly 4,000 kilometres across a large number of Punjab's Assembly constituencies before the programme concludes in Jalandhar on September 30.
The BJP has used the campaign to criticise the AAP government's record on the drug problem.
The AAP, in response, has questioned the BJP's record during its earlier alliance with the Shiromani Akali Dal. Both parties' arguments are part of the current political campaign and reflect competing political positions.
Drug Issue Becomes a Major Election Topic
The drug issue has become one of the prominent subjects in Punjab's political activity ahead of the 2027 Assembly election.
The latest developments include:
The opposition's 21-member joint action committee.
The indefinite protest announced in Sangrur.
The cases involving Mohanjeet Singh and Gulzar Singh.
The latest incident involving Jagga Singh.
The BJP's Nasha Mukt Punjab Yatra.
AAP's defence of its drug-control efforts.
Opposition demands for greater action against alleged drug networks.
The political debate is taking place alongside police investigations into individual cases.
AAP's Election Campaign
The latest protest also comes shortly after the AAP intensified its campaign for the 2027 Punjab Assembly election.
Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann formally launched the party's election campaign in Ludhiana on September 19 and subsequently began a door-to-door campaign from Dhuri under the “Mann Da Munafa” theme.
AAP is using the campaign to highlight its record on electricity, healthcare, education, employment, water management and other welfare programmes.
The drug issue is now becoming an additional major area of political debate between the ruling party and opposition parties.
Congress and Other Parties Prepare for 2027
The Congress has also stepped up its election-related preparations.
Punjab Leader of Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa has held discussions with Congress's Punjab in-charge Sachin Pilot regarding the party's preparations for the next Assembly election.
The BJP and SAD are also conducting their own political activities, while different organisations and smaller political groups are participating in the Sangrur protest.
The formation of a joint opposition committee for the drug-related protest represents a temporary coordination around a specific issue; it should not by itself be interpreted as confirmation of a broader electoral alliance.
Sangrur at the Centre of the Dispute
Sangrur has become the main focus of the latest political controversy because several of the reported incidents occurred in the district and Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann's political base is associated with the area.
The opposition has chosen Sangrur for its indefinite protest, while the AAP has defended its handling of the cases and criticised the opposition's approach.
The latest developments therefore combine questions about drug enforcement, law and order, police action, public complaints and political accountability.
The drug issue is now one of the major subjects being raised by political parties as they prepare for the next election.
Key Developments
Development Details
Main issue Drug menace and alleged attacks on people raising concerns
Main location Sangrur
Opposition coordination 21-member joint action committee
Protest Indefinite pucca morcha
Protest associated with Mohanjeet Singh-Gulzar Singh Insaf Morcha
Key opposition groups involved Congress, BJP, SAD-Badal and other organisations
Major demand Action in cases involving alleged targeting of drug-related whistleblowers
Latest Sangrur case Jagga Singh's alleged suicide attempt
Police position FIR registered against sarpanch and seven others in Jagga Singh's complaint
BJP campaign Nasha Mukt Punjab Yatra
AAP campaign “Mann Da Munafa” door-to-door campaign
Next Assembly election Punjab Assembly Election 2027
Official polling dates Not announced
What Happens Next?
The indefinite protest in Sangrur is expected to keep the drug issue in the centre of Punjab's political discussion.
The immediate focus will also remain on the police investigation into the complaint involving Jagga Singh and the circumstances surrounding the earlier cases cited by the opposition.
Meanwhile, the BJP's Nasha Mukt Punjab Yatra and the AAP's statewide campaign are continuing to bring the drug issue and governance record directly before voters.
The Congress, BJP, SAD and AAP are also likely to increase their organisational and public outreach activities as the 2027 Assembly election approaches.
Conclusion
Punjab's political debate over the drug menace has intensified ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections after opposition parties formed a 21-member joint action committee and announced an indefinite protest in Sangrur.
The protest follows allegations involving Mohanjeet Singh and Gulzar Singh, while a fresh controversy has emerged around Jagga Singh, who allegedly consumed poison after claiming that he was threatened for raising concerns about drug sales.
Opposition parties have used these incidents to question the AAP government's handling of the drug problem and the safety of people who raise complaints. The AAP government has rejected those allegations and has highlighted the criminal cases registered against Jagga Singh. Police have separately confirmed that an FIR was registered on his complaint against the village sarpanch and others and that the investigation is continuing.
The developments come alongside the BJP's Nasha Mukt Punjab Yatra and the AAP's “Mann Da Munafa” election campaign, making drugs and law-and-order issues increasingly prominent in Punjab's political discourse ahead of the 2027 Assembly election.
Sources: The Economic Times, The Times of India, Hindustan Times and The Indian Express, September 2026. The article has been independently rewritten and consolidated from these reports.
“Opposition parties in Punjab have intensified their campaign against the Aam Aadmi Party government over the state's drug problem and recent incidents involving people who said they had raised concerns about drug availability. A 21-member joint action committee comprising representatives of the Congress, BJP, Shiromani Akali Dal and other organisations has announced an indefinite protest in Sangrur, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann's home district. The development comes ahead of the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections.”
The INDIA bloc has announced a nationwide campaign over concerns related to the Election Commission and electoral processes. The Opposition plans protests, a march to the Election Commission headquarters, and a legal challenge to provisions of the Chief Election Commissioner Act, 2023.
Discussions between Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay's Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) and the Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) have intensified, with reports suggesting alliance talks and possible Cabinet representation. However, no official announcement has been made by either party.
With the Uttar Pradesh Assembly election approaching in 2027, the Samajwadi Party and Congress are working to strengthen their alliance after their improved performance in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Political observers believe the opposition has an important opportunity, but unity and effective seat-sharing will be crucial.
