The Aam Aadmi Party has taken its Punjab government report card directly to households as the BJP steps up its statewide campaign against drugs ahead of the 2027 Punjab Assembly election. Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann began the door-to-door outreach from Dhuri, his Assembly constituency.

The move comes after the BJP launched its “Nasha Mukt Punjab Yatra”, which is focused on the drug menace, law and order and corruption. The BJP’s yatra is planned to cover all 117 Assembly constituencies before concluding in Jalandhar.

AAP is using its “Yudh Nashean Virudh” campaign and the Mann government’s wider governance record as the focus of its grassroots outreach.

AAP’s anti-drug strategy

The Punjab government is highlighting a five-point approach covering police enforcement, prevention in schools, youth engagement, community vigilance and rehabilitation.

According to government figures cited in the report, the Anti-Narcotics Task Force registered 61,824 FIRs and arrested 81,433 people between March 2025 and September 2026.

The government said the seizures during this period included 3,918 kg of heroin, 991 kg of opium, 47 tonnes of poppy husk, 1,416 kg of ganja and 65 lakh tablets and capsules.

In schools, a 14-week anti-drug curriculum is being taught to around 7.5 lakh students across 3,600 schools. The government is also promoting sports, cultural activities, mental-health clubs and other youth programmes.

Village vigilance and rehabilitation

The government said around 1.25 lakh people have joined nearly 15,000 Village and Ward Defence Committees.

It also said more than 51,000 citizen tip-offs received through the Safe Punjab WhatsApp Helpline have contributed to over 25,000 drug-related arrests.

On treatment, Punjab currently has 547 OOAT (Outpatient Opioid Assisted Treatment) centres, 219 de-addiction centres and 91 rehabilitation centres, according to the figures cited by the government.

Admissions to government de-addiction and rehabilitation centres rose from more than 12,200 in 2024 to nearly 34,000 in 2025, the report said.

BJP’s anti-drug campaign

The BJP’s “Nasha Mukt Punjab Yatra” has placed the drug issue at the centre of its political outreach in the state. The campaign is also raising concerns related to law and order and corruption and is planned across all 117 Assembly constituencies.

AAP’s response is to take its own record directly to voters, with the party highlighting action against drugs alongside welfare and development initiatives.

The door-to-door campaign comes as political parties begin intensifying their grassroots mobilisation ahead of the 2027 Punjab Assembly election.

A Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the alleged donation theft at the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya has identified 105 instances through CCTV footage, the Supreme Court was informed on Monday.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, while referring to the SIT’s status report, presented details of the investigation before the top court. The probe is nearing completion and the chargesheet is expected to be filed by September 25.

The Supreme Court reviewed the SIT’s status report during the hearing of the case and took the information presented before it on record.

What the SIT report found

According to the status report, investigators examined CCTV footage along with witness statements and other evidence to identify those allegedly involved in the donation theft.

The report specifically identified 105 incidents of donation theft through CCTV footage.

The court was also informed about the arrests made in the case and the evidence collected during the investigation.

The report further stated that receipts for valuables received as donations are generated through software, while the valuables are kept in a State Bank of India locker.

Supreme Court declines plea for SIT report copy

During the hearing, the petitioners sought a copy of the SIT report. The Supreme Court declined the request, with the bench headed by the Chief Justice saying it did not want to take the matter out of the Sessions Judge’s hands.

The court said it would pass an order if it considered further investigation necessary.

Eight accused arrested

The FIR in the case names eight people — Avinash Shukla, Anukalp Mishra, Lavkush Mishra, Manish Kumar Yadav, Karunesh Pandey, Ramashankar Mishra, Subhash Srivastava and Ram Shankar Yadav alias Tinnu — along with other unidentified individuals.

According to the report, all eight named accused have been arrested and booked under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and Section 13(1)(a) of the Prevention of Corruption Act.

SIT probe and changes at Ram Mandir Trust

The three-member SIT, headed by Lucknow Divisional Commissioner Vijay Vishwas Pant, was constituted by the Uttar Pradesh government on June 13 at the request of the Ram Mandir Trust.

The panel submitted its preliminary report to the state government on June 23 and made several recommendations.

Following the donation theft controversy, top Ram Mandir Trust officials Champat Rai and Anil Mishra were removed from their posts. A CEO-led administrative structure has since been introduced, with former military officer Jitendra Mishra appointed as CEO.

The SIT investigation is now nearing completion, with the chargesheet scheduled to be filed by September 25.

India enjoyed a strong outing on Day 2 of the Asian Games 2026 in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, adding four medals to its overall tally.

The biggest haul came from shooting, where India secured three medals in the men’s 10m air rifle events. Himanshu Dhillon won silver and Rudrankksh Patil claimed bronze in the individual final, while the duo had earlier combined with Parth Mane to secure silver in the team event.

India’s medal tally subsequently rose to six at the Asian Games 2026. Alongside the three shooting medals, Suchika Tariyal secured bronze in the women’s traditional 60kg MMA category.

Double podium finish for India in shooting

Himanshu Dhillon produced a strong performance in the men’s 10m air rifle individual final to claim the silver medal, while Rudrankksh Patil finished with bronze.

The individual medals followed India’s silver in the men’s 10m air rifle team event earlier in the day. Dhillon, Patil and Parth Mane combined to finish second in the team competition.

Patil and Dhillon had also made it through to the individual final after their qualification performances. Patil finished third in qualification with 631.8, while Mane ended 11th with 628.3 and missed out on the individual final.

Suchika Tariyal wins MMA bronze

India also added a bronze medal in mixed martial arts through Suchika Tariyal in the women’s traditional 60kg category.

Tariyal lost her semifinal against Singapore’s Teo Hui Hoon after a closely contested bout. The Indian contingent subsequently challenged the decision.

According to Suchika’s coach, the bout was level before going into overtime, with Singapore awarded the victory after the extra period. The challenge was made in the arbitration zone.

Tariyal had reached the semifinals after defeating her Mongolian opponent 2-0, guaranteeing herself a medal.

India beat Pakistan in women’s table tennis

India’s women’s table tennis team also advanced to the quarter-finals after defeating Pakistan 3-0 in their Group F match.

Sreeja Akula completed India’s victory with an 11-4, 11-4, 11-5 win over Fatima Khan.

More Indian results on Day 2

In swimming, Srihari Nataraj qualified for the men’s 50m backstroke final after finishing third in his heat in 25.37 seconds. Rishabh Das finished fourth in the same heat and was listed as a reserve. Dhanush Suresh, meanwhile, missed the men’s 100m breaststroke final after finishing 22nd overall in 1:03.46.

In boxing, Sumit Kundu advanced to the Round of 16 in the 70kg division after defeating Thailand’s Bunjong Sinsiri by unanimous decision.

India’s Aadhya Tiwari and Jay Meena also advanced to the Round of 16 in mixed doubles soft tennis despite losing their final group match against South Korea.

The Indian men’s sepaktakraw team, however, lost 2-1 to Japan in its Group B match.

India also had action scheduled in women’s hockey, with the team taking on Indonesia in its second group-stage match after a 19-0 win over Uzbekistan in its opening game.