Amit Shah to visit Punjab on October 20, says BJP leader Ravneet Bittu

Union Home Minister Amit Shah will visit Punjab on October 20, BJP leader Ravneet Singh Bittu said on Sunday (October 18, 2026), with party sources indicating that he is likely to visit Mansa and Sangrur to meet the families of two men who died in incidents linked to the State’s drug issue.

Mr. Bittu, a former Union minister, announced Mr. Shah’s visit in a post on X but did not share details of his itinerary.

“Punjab welcomes Hon’ble Union Home Minister Shri @AmitShah Ji on his visit to Punjab on 20th October,” he said.

At a time when Punjab is battling the grave menace of drugs, the state needs decisive action, strong leadership and a firm resolve to secure its youth and future, Bittu said.

He alleged that the AAP government had lost its mandate before completing its term and appealed to Punjabis to support Mr. Shah and the BJP’s mission to make Punjab drug-free.

"Let us unite to save Punjab's youth and reclaim Punjab's future," Mr. Bittu further said.

Though there was no official information on Mr. Shah’s itinerary, party sources said he was likely to visit Mansa and Sangrur to meet the families of anti-drug activist Parvinder Singh Jhota and Gulzar Singh, respectively.

On October 16, Mr. Shah had said the Centre would seek the Punjab government’s response over two incidents in the state -- the death of a father who allegedly consumed poison under pressure in Dirba and the killing of Jhota in Mansa.

Jhota was shot dead on October 13 by a medical store owner in a busy market in Mansa. Ashwani Kumar, the store owner who allegedly fired at Jhota when he was questioned over the sale of addictive drugs to an elderly man, was subsequently arrested.

Jhota’s family and supporters have been staging a protest in Mansa, seeking justice for the activist. His body has not yet been cremated.

Gulzar Singh, a resident of Dirba in Sangrur district, died on September 7. His family 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 increasingly highlighted the drug issue in poll-bound Punjab, where Assembly elections are due early next year.

Mr. Shah’s visit will be his second to Punjab in 20 days. He visited Jalandhar on September 30 and addressed a rally marking the culmination of the BJP’s ‘Nasha Mukt Punjab Yatra’, which began on September 18.

During that visit, Mr. Shah accused the AAP government of allowing the trade in ‘chitta’ (synthetic drugs) to flourish openly and vowed that the BJP would make Punjab drug-free by December 2029 if voted to power in the 2027 Assembly elections.

Mr. Shah also met some families affected by the drug menace during his Jalandhar visit.

He had said those involved in the drug trade would be sent to jail and called on voters to remove the AAP government, promising to eradicate the drug menace within two years if the BJP came to power.