Jalandhar, Oct. 1 -- Union home minister Amit Shah on Wednesday pledged that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), if voted to power in Punjab next year, will eradicate the trade of "chitta" (synthetic drugs) from the state by December 31, 2029.

Shah made the statement during a rally at Jalandar's Kot Kalan village to mark the culmination of state BJP unit's 13-day "Nasha Mukt Punjab Yatra", launched by party president Nitin Nabin on September 18. The yatra covered roughly 4,000 kilometres across the state and drew participation from several Union ministers and senior state leaders.

Wednesday's address marked Shah's second major campaign push on the narcotics crisis within six months, following a rally in Moga on March 14 where he said that...