30 September, 2026 – Jalandhar : A flurry of activity and last-minute preparations have been under way in the BJP camp for Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s visit to Jalandhar today. Shah has landed in Jalandhar and is all set to address an anti-drug rally there.
Before addressing the rally, the Union Minister paid obeisance at the historic 200-year-old Tripurmalini shrine within the compound of Shri Devi Talab Mandir. Shah arrived at Sri Guru Ravidas Ji Maharaj Adampur Airport and travelled to the temple by helicopter. He landed at the LR Doaba School grounds, where a helipad was prepared adjacent to the temple complex.
Shah says there are many problems to be addressed in Punjab, whether they are related to farmers, industry, law and order or women’s safety but, the BJP will fight these elections first and foremost for a drug-free Punjab. He pledges that by the end of 2029, “there won’t be a single chitta trader in the state”.
Amit Shah was accompanied by Punjab BJP president Kewal Dhillon in a Toyota car when he reached the temple. At the temple, he was received by ex-MLA KD Bhandari. His helicopter leaves the helipad at 1.12 pm for the onward journey to the anti-drug rally venue site. There, he is slated to first interact with drug-affected families in the green room behind the rally. He will then address a gathering of about 50,000 party workers and supporters who have converged at Paragpur village on the Phagwara-Jalandhar highway.
As Shah lands in Punjab, BJP Rajya Sabha MP Vikram Sahney says it is a “historic” day in Punjab when four anti-drug yatras are being launched, and events will be held across Punjab’s villages, towns, and cities. He says the BJP leader would meet drug-affected families and take stock of the ground situation related to drugs, which are “being sold like toffees and chocolates”.
Accusing the central leader of not responding to letters on Punjab’s issues, Congress MP Sukhjinder Randhawa today posed on X a series of pointed questions to the leader ahead of his visit to the agrarian state. In a detailed post on X, Randhawa questioned, “Shri @AmitShah ji, while sitting in Delhi, you do not reply to the letters I write regarding Punjab’s issues. Today, as you visit Punjab yourself, I hope you will answer the questions raised in the interest of the state.” In his statement, he said that incidents of drugs and weapons being smuggled into Punjab through drones from across the border were still coming to light. “When the security of the international border is in the hands of the BSF, why is this supply chain not being completely broken?” he asked. He also sought details about the ground-level results of the work being done on anti-drone technology and asked when the entire border belt would get effective coverage.
Hours ahead of Shah’s visit, a bomb threat has reportedly been issued in Jalandhar today, sending security agencies on high alert. An email was received by several private schools of Jalandhar that warned of IED bomb blasts at several locations in the city. The email, received at around 7.07 am, was sent from an unidentified Gmail account and was addressed to multiple school email IDs, including those of MGN, Urban Estate Ph-2, and Cambridge Innovative School, Jalandhar. The message specifically referred to Shah’s rally and threatened bomb attacks at locations associated with his programme. Schools in Amritsar, too, received a similar threat.
After members of Muslim Organisation Punjab announced that they would show black flags to Union Home Minister Amit Shah during his Jalandhar visit, they were detained by the Punjab Police at their places this morning. Five Punjab Police personnel reached the house of Muslim Organization Punjab general secretary Mazhar Alam and placed him under house arrest. Mazhar Alam had yesterday alleged that the policies of the BJP government were causing Muslims a lot of difficulties at various levels.
On the day Union Home Minister Amit Shah is scheduled to visit Jalandhar to address an anti-drug rally, hoardings questioning the BJP on various issues concerning Punjab have come up at several intersections across the city. While the approach roads to the rally venue were already lined with hoardings welcoming Amit Shah, the new anti-BJP hoardings have been interspersed among them, much to the annoyance of BJP leaders.
The Tribune