Harsimrat Badal Urges Punjab Women to Launch Mass Agitation Against Drugs on Lines of Kisan Andolan

November 10, 2026

Amritsar: Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader and Bathinda MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal on Tuesday appealed to women in Punjab to launch a mass movement against drugs, urging them to organise themselves on the lines of the farmers’ agitation.

Addressing gatherings of women at Attari and Raja Sansi in Amritsar district, Badal called upon the Mai Bhago di Fauj to form groups and take an active role in fighting drug trafficking in their villages.

She said only a sustained campaign led by those most affected by the drug menace could eliminate the problem.

“I appeal to you to start a mass movement against drugs by forming ‘jathas’ to make these messengers of death aware that you are fully organised to take them on. You should also start ‘thikri pehra’ in your villages to deny access to drug traffickers,” she said.

Harsimrat Badal Accuses Congress and AAP Governments of Failure

The SAD leader said women would have to take charge of the fight against drugs, alleging that both the previous Congress government and the present Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government had failed to control the problem.

“Both the previous Congress and the present Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) governments have failed you. Instead of fulfilling their ‘guarantee’ to end this menace, they have presided over its spread,” she said.

Badal also accused the AAP government of betraying women over its financial assistance promise. She alleged that the government had promised women Rs 60,000 but distributed only Rs 3,000 to secure their votes.

“Is this ‘satkar’ (respect) for women or an insult to them?” she asked.

Citing the initiatives of former Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, she said he had introduced the Shagun scheme, distributed bicycles to girls and launched the Aata-Dal scheme.

“All this and more was done without giving any guarantee,” she added.

Punjab’s Drug Crisis and Decline in Education, Health Rankings

Harsimrat Badal claimed that Punjab had reached the top position in drug smuggling and ranked second in deaths caused by drug overdoses.

She further alleged that despite the state’s position on the drug issue under the AAP government, Punjab had fallen to 18th place nationally in education and health parameters.

“Even while we have achieved this dubious distinction under the AAP rule, we have gone down to the 18th position in education and health parameters nationally. This is the reason why women are coming up to me everywhere and telling me they have no demand except ending the drug menace in the state,” she said.

Badal reiterated that a large-scale and sustained public campaign, particularly involving women, was necessary to fight drug trafficking and tackle the menace in Punjab.