The drug menace in Punjab has exploded into a full-blown Centre versus state showdown. On Friday, Union Home Minister Amit Shah turned up the heat on the Bhagwant Mann government, announcing that the Home Ministry will seek a formal report from Punjab over two cases that have shaken the state: the broad-daylight murder of anti-drug activist Parvinder Singh Jhota in Mansa, and the death of a father in Dirba who allegedly consumed poison under pressure.
Shah’s post on X was unusually direct. “Punjab is grappling today with the rising threats of drugs, gangsterism, and organised crime,” he wrote, before asking the question that has now become the headline: who will ultimately bear the responsibility for the safety of Punjab’s people?
Two cases, one sharp message
The first case Shah flagged is the killing of Parvinder Singh Jhota, an anti-drug activist who was shot dead in a busy market in Mansa on October 13. Jhota had been confronting a medical store owner over the alleged sale of addictive drugs to an elderly man when the owner, identified as Ashwani Kumar, opened fire. Jhota’s father has since levelled grave allegations against the ruling Aam Aadmi Party government and its MLA, a charge Shah repeated in his post.
The second case is that of Gulzar Singh of Dirba in Sangrur district, who consumed poison and died after reportedly facing harassment and casteist abuse. His family has alleged that he took the step after being pressured over his public questioning of Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema about the alleged easy availability of heroin in his locality.
“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 wrote.
State government scrambles to respond
The police response to Jhota’s killing has been swift, at least on paper. Beant Kaur, the SHO of City-2 police station in Mansa, was suspended with immediate effect. Ashwani Kumar, the alleged shooter, and his associate Vipin Kumar were arrested and sent to seven days’ police remand. Kumar’s wife Neelam Rani and another associate, Laadi, were also taken into custody. The National Human Rights Commission has sought a report on the case, and Jhota’s killing triggered a statewide bandh on Thursday as anger poured onto the streets.
But Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann was not about to take Shah’s attack lying down. He hit back hard, accusing the Centre of defaming Punjab and its people, and shot back that the Union government should first take responsibility for its own duties. Mann’s camp also insisted that the state was being unfairly painted as a drug haven, pointing to what it calls relentless action against traffickers under its watch.
The Congress, too, joined the chorus. Rahul Gandhi slammed the Mann government over Jhota’s killing, saying that raising a voice against drugs had effectively become a death sentence in the state. For a party trying to claw back ground in Punjab ahead of assembly elections early next year, the law-and-order pitch is suddenly prime political real estate.
- October 13: Anti-drug activist Parvinder Singh Jhota shot dead in Mansa while confronting a medical store owner
- October 15: Statewide bandh in Punjab over Jhota’s killing; Mansa SHO suspended
- October 16: Amit Shah announces the MHA will seek a report from Punjab on Jhota’s murder and Gulzar Singh’s death
- October 16: CM Bhagwant Mann hits back, accusing the Centre of defaming the state
- Key demand: Impartial probe into the killings and alleged political patronage of drug networks
Why this fight matters now
Drugs have haunted Punjab’s politics for a decade, but the timing of this flare-up is no accident. Assembly elections are due early next year, and the BJP has been hammering the drug issue to dent AAP’s claim of clean governance. Shah’s promise of a “drug-free, gangster-free and secure Punjab” under the BJP was aimed squarely at that campaign battlefield.
The deeper worry is the one Shah underlined: the safety of people who dare to speak up. Jhota’s murder, in broad daylight, in a crowded market, sends a chilling signal to every local activist who takes on the drug trade. “The people of Punjab do not want promises, they want answers,” Shah said, “not announcements, but results.”
Mann, meanwhile, is betting that Punjabis will read the Centre’s move as political interference rather than concern. The coming weeks will show whose reading of the room is right, but one thing is certain: with the MHA now formally in the loop, the Punjab drug row is no longer just a state headline. It is national news, and it is not going away.
FAQs
Who was Parvinder Singh Jhota?
Jhota was an anti-drug activist in Mansa, Punjab. He was shot dead on October 13 by a medical store owner while confronting him over the alleged sale of addictive drugs to an elderly man.
What did Amit Shah say about Punjab?
Shah said Punjab is grappling with rising threats of drugs, gangsterism and organised crime, and announced the Home Ministry will seek a report from the Punjab government on Jhota’s murder and Gulzar Singh’s death in Dirba.
How did Bhagwant Mann respond?
The Punjab Chief Minister hit back at Shah, accusing the Centre of defaming the state and saying the Union government should take responsibility for its own duties.
What action has been taken in the Jhota murder case?
The Mansa City-2 SHO was suspended, the alleged shooter Ashwani Kumar and his associate Vipin Kumar were arrested and sent to seven days’ police remand, and two others were detained. The NHRC has also sought a report.
Why is this politically significant?
Punjab goes to the polls early next year, and the BJP is using the drug issue to challenge AAP’s governance record, while the Congress is also attacking the Mann government over law and order.
Informeia will continue tracking the Punjab drug row and the MHA’s next move. Stay tuned.
