New Delhi/Chandigarh: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday said the Centre will seek Punjab government’s response over two incidents in the state: a father consuming poison under pressure in Dirba and the broad daylight killing of anti-drug activist Parvinder Singh Jhota in Mansa.
In a post on microblogging site X, Shah said Punjab is today grappling with a rising threat of drugs, gangsterism and organised crime, and asked Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann who will ultimately bear the responsibility for the safety of Punjab’s people.
“In Dirba, a father succumbing to pressure and consuming poison, and in Mansa, the broad-daylight murder of Parvinder Singh Jhota — who had raised his voice against drugs — have raised serious questions about the law and order situation in Punjab,” Shah wrote.
Jhota’s father has levelled grave allegations against the ruling Aam Aadmi Party government and their MLA, Shah said.
The Home Ministry will seek responses from the Punjab government on both the incidents, he said.
Jhota, an anti-drug activist, was shot dead by a medical store owner at a busy market in Mansa on Tuesday. Ashwani Kumar, the store owner who fired at Jhota when he was being questioned for selling addictive drugs to an elderly man, was subsequently arrested.
The first incident Shah referred to was the death by suicide of Gulzar Singh, who hailed from Dirba in Sangrur, on September 7. Gulzar’s family had alleged that he consumed poison after being harassed and subjected to casteist slurs for questioning Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema at an event about the supply of drugs in his locality.
Political parties, including the BJP, have increasingly highlighted the drug issue in poll-bound Punjab, where assembly elections are due early next year.
In his X post, Shah said, “In Punjab, the drug trade is flourishing, the threat of organised crime is growing, and questions are being raised about the safety of those who speak out against drugs.”
Addressing Chief Minister Mann, Shah said the people of Punjab want results, not publicity.
“Bhagwant Mann ji, the people of Punjab do not want promises, they want answers; not announcements, but results; decisive strikes against drug networks; and an impartial investigation into any political patronage received by criminals.
“Today, I reiterate my pledge before the people of Punjab that when our government comes to power in Punjab, we will work with full force to create a drug-free, gangster-free, and secure Punjab. Our goal is clear: strikes against the drug trade, protection of our youth’s future, strict action against criminals, and the rule of law in such a way that no citizen is forced to live under the shadow of fear,” the home minister said.
