- Chief Minister Mann ordered CBI probe for activist Jhota’s murder.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday visited Punjab to meet the families of three men whose deaths have drawn attention to the state’s drug menace. During his day-long tour of Gurdaspur, Sangrur and Mansa, Shah expressed condolences and criticised the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government over the growing threat of drugs and the safety of those opposing their sale.
The visit comes amid a political row over allegations of harassment and violence linked to anti-drug activism, with Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann announcing a CBI probe into one of the cases.
Condolences In Gurdaspur
Shah began his visit in Mari Panwan village, in the Batala area of Gurdaspur district, where he met the family of Bikramjit Singh, who was killed on October 15. Singh was murdered for opposing drug peddling in his locality. Police, however, had said the killing stemmed from a scuffle between two groups over a mobile phone.
आप-दा सरकार में पंजाब में बेलगाम हो चुके नशे के कारोबार के खिलाफ आवाज बुलंद करने पर अपनी जान गंवाने वाले स्व. विक्रमजीत सिंह जी के परिजनों से आज गुरदासपुर में उनके आवास पर मिलकर अपनी संवेदनाएँ व्यक्त कीं। ईश्वर उन्हें यह दुःख सहने की शक्ति प्रदान करें। पंजाब में नशे के बढ़ते जाल और नशा तस्करों के हौसलों ने AAP सरकार की कार्यप्रणाली पर गंभीर प्रश्नचिह्न खड़े कर दिए हैं। भगवंत मान सरकार में एक ओर पंजाब का युवा नशे की भेंट चढ़ रहा है, वहीं दूसरी ओर इसके खिलाफ आवाज उठाने वाले सुरक्षित नहीं हैं। पंजाब सहित पूरे भारत को नशामुक्त बनाने और युवाओं के भविष्य को सुरक्षित करने के लिए हम संकल्पबद्ध हैं। ਆਪ-ਦਾ ਸਰਕਾਰ ਵਿੱਚ ਪੰਜਾਬ ਵਿੱਚ ਬੇਲਗਾਮ ਹੋ ਚੁੱਕੇ ਨਸ਼ੇ ਦੇ ਕਾਰੋਬਾਰ ਖ਼ਿਲਾਫ਼ ਆਵਾਜ਼ ਬੁਲੰਦ ਕਰਦਿਆਂ ਆਪਣਾ ਜੀਵਨ ਗਵਾਉਣ ਵਾਲੇ ਸਵ. ਬਿਕਰਮਜੀਤ ਸਿੰਘ ਜੀ ਦੇ ਪਰਿਵਾਰ ਨਾਲ ਅੱਜ ਗੁਰਦਾਸਪੁਰ ਵਿੱਚ ਉਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਦੇ ਨਿਵਾਸ ‘ਤੇ ਮਿਲ ਕੇ ਆਪਣੀਆਂ ਸੰਵੇਦਨਾਵਾਂ ਪ੍ਰਗਟ ਕੀਤੀਆਂ। ਪ੍ਰਮਾਤਮਾ ਉਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਇਹ ਦੁੱਖ ਸਹਿਣ ਦੀ ਸ਼ਕਤੀ ਪ੍ਰਦਾਨ ਕਰੇ। ਪੰਜਾਬ ਵਿੱਚ ਨਸ਼ੇ ਦੇ ਵਧਦੇ ਜਾਲ ਅਤੇ ਨਸ਼ਾ ਤਸਕਰਾਂ ਦੇ ਹੌਸਲਿਆਂ ਨੇ ‘ਆਪ’ ਸਰਕਾਰ ਦੀ ਕਾਰਜਪ੍ਰਣਾਲੀ ‘ਤੇ ਗੰਭੀਰ ਸਵਾਲ ਖੜ੍ਹੇ ਕਰ ਦਿੱਤੇ ਹਨ। ਭਗਵੰਤ ਮਾਨ ਸਰਕਾਰ ਵਿੱਚ ਇੱਕ ਪਾਸੇ ਪੰਜਾਬ ਦਾ ਨੌਜਵਾਨ ਨਸ਼ੇ ਦੀ ਭੇਟ ਚੜ੍ਹ ਰਿਹਾ ਹੈ, ਉੱਥੇ ਹੀ ਦੂਜੇ ਪਾਸੇ ਇਸ ਖ਼ਿਲਾਫ਼ ਆਵਾਜ਼ ਉਠਾਉਣ ਵਾਲੇ ਖ਼ੁਦ ਨੂੰ ਅਸੁਰੱਖਿਅਤ ਮਹਿਸੂਸ ਕਰ ਰਹੇ ਹਨ। ਪੰਜਾਬ ਸਮੇਤ ਪੂਰੇ ਭਾਰਤ ਨੂੰ ਨਸ਼ਾਮੁਕਤ ਬਣਾਉਣ ਅਤੇ ਨੌਜਵਾਨਾਂ ਦੇ ਭਵਿੱਖ ਨੂੰ ਸੁਰੱਖਿਅਤ ਕਰਨ ਲਈ ਅਸੀਂ ਵਚਨਬੱਧ ਹਾਂ।
— Amit Shah (@AmitShah) October 20, 2026
In a statement following the meeting, Shah accused the AAP government of failing to contain the drug trade and protect those who speak out against it. He said the Centre remained committed to making Punjab, along with the rest of India, drug-free and safeguarding the future of young people.
Two More Families
Shah was also scheduled to meet the family of Gulzar Singh in Sangrur district. Gulzar, a Dalit man, died by suicide on September 7. His family alleged that he consumed poison after facing harassment and casteist abuse for questioning Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema about the supply of drugs in his locality.
In Mansa, Shah was due to meet the family of anti-drug activist Parvinder Singh Jhota, who was shot dead on October 13 inside a medical store in a busy marketplace. Jhota was known for challenging the illegal sale of addictive substances at chemist shops.
His father, Bhim Singh, said he would seek a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) inquiry into the killing. The store owner, Ashwani Kumar, was arrested in Rajasthan’s Salasar after opening fire on Jhota, who had questioned him about selling addictive drugs to an elderly customer. Jhota was hosting a Facebook Live broadcast when the incident occurred.
Political Row Intensifies
The killing triggered a political confrontation in Punjab, which is due to hold Assembly elections early next year. Hours before Shah’s visit, Mann announced that his government had decided to transfer Jhota’s murder case to the CBI.
Security was tightened across Gurdaspur, Sangrur and Mansa ahead of Shah’s tour, as the drug crisis and allegations of threats against anti-drug campaigners intensified pressure on the state government.
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