“Yudh Nashian Virudh”: Punjab’s decisive battle against drugs, over 31,000 arrests so far

November 23, 2025

The “Yudh Nashian Virudh” campaign, launched in February 2025 under the leadership of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, has become a decisive mass movement against drug abuse in Punjab. Its objective is not just arrests, but to free society from drugs and give it a new direction.

So far, the Punjab Police has registered 20,469 FIRs and arrested 31,252 accused. 1,350 kg of heroin has been recovered—nearly 60% of the total seizures nationwide. According to DGP Gaurav Yadav, Punjab’s conviction rate of 87% is the highest in India.

The government has bulldozed the illegal properties of drug smugglers and deployed 553 km of anti-drone systems along the Pakistan border. Additionally, more than 4,500 villages have declared themselves “drug-free villages.” Langdoya village in Nawanshahr has become an example of this campaign.

De-addiction centers have been strengthened to rehabilitate drug addicts, and anti-drug curriculum has been added to schools from grades 9 to 12. Amanjot Kaur from Ludhiana says, “With the government’s help, I have come out of addiction and started a new life.”

Chief Minister Mann says, “The ‘War Against Drugs’ is not just a movement of law, but of public awareness. It is a battle to save the soul of Punjab.”