Ending hours of suspense around his attendance at the Aam Aadmi Party’s mega rally at Killi Chahal village in Moga district today, Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann reached the venue from a Mohali hospital and called for intensifying the fight against drugs with a “zindagi zindabad, no murdabad” slogan.Starting the second phase of the fight against drugs in the state, Mann made a scathing attack on previous regimes, accusing them of pushing Punjab into a “drug cesspool” for political and financial gains.“We are breaking the drug supply chain, rehabilitating addicts and taking strict action against drug suppliers. There is now a ‘lok lehar’ (people’s wave) against drugs, and this collective resolve is the only way to eliminate this menace,” he said, adding that his government was committed to uprooting those responsible for ruining the state.Accompanied by AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal and former Delhi Deputy CM Manish Sisodia, Mann said since the launch of the state’s anti-drug crusade on March 1, 2025, the campaign had gained massive public support. “Initially, people were skeptical, but as the days passed, their faith strengthened. It is the people’s trust that has empowered us to act firmly,” he said.AAP leaders gave a call to reject other parties in the next Assembly elections as they had “ruined Punjab for their personal gains”. In this political-cum-anti-drug rally, state Chief Secretary KAP Sinha and DGP Gaurav Yadav also addressed the gathering, giving details of the government’s achievements in its crusade against drugs in 2025. Highlighting the role of village defence committees (VDCs), Yadav said over 1.5 lakh members had been enrolled, with more than 70,000 identity cards issued.CM back in hospitalPunjab CM Bhagwant Mann was re-admitted to a private Mohali hospital on Monday evening, hours after he was discharged from the facility. Mann experienced exhaustion after a rally in Moga and was brought back to the hospital around 8 pm, said sources.Each VDC member has been provided access to a mobile application to confidentially share information about drug peddlers. “More than 33,000 tips have been received, leading to around 17,000 arrests. The identity of informers is kept secret,” he said, urging every resident to become a part of the movement.The Chief Minister also announced that playgrounds were being developed in every village to channel the energy of the youth towards sports. “Punjabis were once known for producing wrestlers and players, but political parties made us infamous for drugs. We are reversing that trend,” he said. He added that 60,000 government jobs had been provided and daytime power supply to farmers ensured.Addressing the rally, Kejriwal said he was there to strengthen the government’s resolve. He blamed the BJP, the Congress and the SAD for patronising the drug network in the past. “This war cannot be won by the government alone. Every village, every household must participate,” he said, urging VDC members to spread awareness and socially and politically boycott those who promote drugs.Sisodia said large-scale recoveries in Punjab had saved thousands of youths from falling prey to addiction. “VDC members are the live cameras of the state government,” he said.Health Minister Balbir Singh said 2,046 kg of drugs were recovered in the state in 2025, significantly higher than the seizures reported in some BJP-ruled states. He claimed that 25,000 youths had been rehabilitated as part of the state’s anti-drug campaign.The DGP claimed that Punjab had achieved over 90 per cent conviction rate under the NDPS Act, the highest in the country. VDC members who helped in the seizure of 43 kg of heroin were honoured with cash prizes at the rally.Led by the Chief Minister, VDC members took a collective oath, pledging to make their villages drug-free and to remain committed to the fight against narcotics.