New Delhi/Chandigarh, Oct 16 (PTI): 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. He 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’s post read.
Jhota’s father has levelled grave allegations against the ruling Aam Aadmi Party government and their MLA, it said, adding that the Home Ministry will seek responses from the Punjab government on both the incidents.
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 about the supply of drugs in his locality.
Political parties, including the BJP, have been increasingly highlighting 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.
Reacting sharply to Shah’s post, Mann pointed to a drug seizure at a Gujarat port and advised the home minister to take responsibility for his own duties.
In an X post in Punjabi, Mann said, “Amit Shah ji, you should have consulted with your advisors before speaking about me. The BSF (Border Security Force) has jurisdiction over a 50-kilometre range. 3,000 kilograms of ‘chitta’ (synthetic drugs) are being seized at the Kandla port in Gujarat. Before blaming Bhagwant Mann, take responsibility for your own duties. Do not simply copy-paste tweets drafted for your sycophants.”
Last month, while addressing a rally in Jalandhar to mark the culmination of BJP’s “Nasha Mukt Punjab Yatra”, Shah had accused the AAP government of allowing chitta trade to run openly and vowed that the BJP would make Punjab drug-free by December 2029 if voted to power.
During his Jalandhar visit on September 30, Shah had also met some families affected by the drug menace.
The home minister had then asserted that those indulging in the drug trade will be sent behind bars. “Remove the incompetent AAP government once and within two years, we will eradicate the drug menace,” he had said.
The post Shah slams Punjab drug trade; Mann hits back first appeared on Nagaland Post.