Amritsar:
Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Kuldip Singh Gargar met the family of Parvinder Singh Jhota, the anti-drug activist who was shot dead by a shop owner after he caught him selling drugs in Punjab's Mansa earlier this week, and gave the activist the status of a martyr.
Expressing his condolences, Gargar said Singh is a "martyr of the Sikh community".
He also offered an ardas (Sikh prayer) in memory of Singh - during which the Akal Takht leader said that "Punjab's youth were falling victim to drug overdoses, while those raising their voices against drugs were being killed by bullets".
"Parvinder Singh had attained martyrdom while fighting against the drug menace," he said.
Gargar prayed to grant strength and success to the campaign against drugs initiated by Singh, as well as the family's ongoing struggle for justice and to dismantle the drug trade. He also prayed that Hindus, Sikhs, Muslims and members of other communities living in Punjab be blessed with the courage and determination to unite against drugs.
The Jathedar affectionately embraced Singh's two sons and encouraged them to remain steadfast and in high spirits.
He appealed to the Sikh Panth and the people of Punjab to extend maximum support to the bereaved family.
Paying honour to Singh as a martyr, Jathedar Giani Kuldip Singh said he had other options in life but had chosen the path of sacrifice while fighting for the people and the youth. He claimed that a drug trafficker had shot Singh in broad daylight, purportedly with the backing of the government.
He also questioned the police administration's multiple cases registered against Singh.
The Jathedar said young people raising their voices against drugs were being targeted and killed. "A person's body can be destroyed, but not their ideology," he said, adding that the self-respecting people of Punjab would strongly oppose such acts.
He said Sri Akal Takht Sahib endorsed the programmes to be announced by the committee formed to pursue justice for Parvinder Singh.
The Akal Takht leader strongly condemned a Punjab minister's reported description of the incident as a case of personal enmity.
Calling it shameful, he accused the state government of attempting to "undermine Singh's struggle and sacrifice by portraying the killing as a personal dispute".
The Jathedar further warned against attempts by certain elements to project the incident as a conflict between Hindu and Sikh communities. He said the issue was not a Hindu-Sikh conflict but a collective struggle by all communities in Punjab against drugs. He asked the government to identify and take action against those attempting to create communal discord, asserting that communal provocation and polarisation would not be allowed to succeed in Punjab.
According to the leader, the 'Punjab bandh' observed on Wednesday had demonstrated that people from all communities stood together in the struggle against drugs.
The Jathedar stressed that the drug menace must be eradicated from its roots and said the responsibility rested with the government.
He also announced that the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) would bear the medical expenses of all those injured in the incident, adding that its president, Advocate Harjinder Singh Dhami, would visit the area soon and ensure that the necessary steps were taken.
Singh was shot dead while he was hosting a Facebook Live and questioned the accused, Ashwani Kumar, for selling addictive drugs to an elderly man.
Kumar was subsequently arrested in Rajasthan's Salasar.
How may i help you today