New Delhi: With Union home minister Amit Shah set to visit Punjab on Tuesday to meet the families of three people whose deaths have been linked to the drug menace, drugs are emerging as a bigger poll issue in the state, potentially overtaking traditional themes such as panthic politics and farmers' concerns.
Shah will travel to Mansa, Sangrur and Gurdaspur to meet the families of Parvinder Singh Jhota, Gulzar Singh and Bikramjit Singh. The visit comes days after the Ministry of Home Affairs sought detailed reports from the Punjab government on the three cases.
The cases, however, are different. Jhota, an anti-drug activist from Mansa, was shot dead on October 13 after confronting a medical store owner over the alleged sale of addictive drugs. Bikramjit died after being attacked in Gurdaspur. His family and others have linked the incident to opposition to drug peddling, though police has disputed a drug-related motive and attributed it to another dispute.
Gulzar, the father of a substance-dependent youth from Dirba in Sangrur, died by suicide in September after raising concerns over the availability of synthetic drugs and making allegations against a Punjab minister. MHA has taken note of allegations that he faced pressure and harassment before his death.
In Mansa, a dharna over Jhota's death continues, with his family demanding a CBI probe. His father Bhim Singh has said he will raise the demand with Shah, while a joint action committee has opposed Shah sharing the stage at the protest site.
Waris Punjab De has been among the earliest political formations seeking to capitalise on the growing anger, while Congress, BJP and SAD have also attacked the AAP government. Resonance of the drug issue was evident even in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, when jailed Waris Punjab De chief Amritpal Singh won from Khadoor Sahib. His campaign had prominently invoked the need to baptise youth and keep them away from drugs.
In a state where panthic concerns, farmers' issues and Centre-state relations have shaped elections, drugs now have the potential to cut across these themes. Shah's visit, the Mansa dharna and competing attempts to own the issue suggest drugs could emerge as one of the defining poll issues.