Ahead of the BJP’s anti-drug yatras, scheduled to begin on Friday, the party on Thursday brought before the public the heart-rending stories of families devastated by drug-related deaths.Several women, including members of the family of Lovepreet, whose body was reportedly found in Abohar, shared their ordeals with the media, recounting how drug abuse had permanently extinguished their families’ hopes.Addressing a press conference alongside state BJP president Kewal Singh Dhillon, former Punjab BJP president Jattvibeil Jakhar questioned what he described as the hollow claims behind the Aam Aadmi Party government’s “war against drugs” campaign.Jakhar asked why young people continued to die from drug abuse across Punjab nearly 18 months after the government had claimed the menace would be eradicated within three months.He said the Bhagwant Mann government had launched the campaign on March 1, 2025. On April 18, 2025, Punjab Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav had reportedly set May 31 as the deadline and announced that if even one gram of drugs was found anywhere after that date, the police officer concerned would be held accountable.Citing figures, Jakhar claimed that 8,344 cases had been registered under the campaign by May 31, while another 52,238 cases had been registered since then. He argued that the government’s own figures showed that drugs continued to be sold in the state.”Has the responsibility of even a single police officer been fixed, and has any action been taken?” he asked.Jakhar alleged that drug mafias were openly selling narcotics and spreading death across Punjab, and that those who raised their voices against drugs were either intimidated by the government machinery or killed by drug mafias.Referring to two incidents in Abohar, Jakhar said the brother of a young man who had posted a video speaking out against drugs was brutally killed in Giddranwali village. The following day, the body of another young man was allegedly found in bushes.Reacting to the Chief Minister’s reported description of such cases as minor incidents, Jakhar said it was shameful for a person holding the constitutional office of Chief Minister to use such language while families were losing their sons. He asked when the victims in Abohar would get justice and when action would be taken against officials allegedly responsible for the failure to act.Jakhar claimed that residents had repeatedly complained about the open sale of drugs in Abohar’s Jammu Basti, Panj Peer Tibba and Indira Nagari, as well as directly opposite the Kallar Khera police post, but the government had failed to take notice.Lovepreet’s sister gave an emotional account of her brother’s death. She alleged that about a year ago, she had called police helplines to report drug sales in her neighbourhood, but instead of taking action, the police allegedly told her to buy the drugs herself so that they could make an arrest.”If a student like me knows where drugs are being sold, why don’t the police and the government know?” she asked.