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Anti-drug activist Jhota’s father welcomes Amit Shah’s Mansa visit, rejects protest panel’s call to block visit
Bhim Singh accuses Insaaf Committee of taking decisions without consulting the family; insists on CBI probe into son Parvinder Singh Jhota’s murder.
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Bhim Singh, the father of slain anti-drug activist Parvinder Singh Jhota, on Monday publicly opposed the Insaaf Committee’s decision to block Union home minister Amit Shah’s visit to Mansa on Tuesday.
Speaking to reporters, Bhim Singh said the committee, which has led protests for justice since Jhota was shot dead on October 13, decided to oppose the minister’s visit without consulting the family.
He reiterated his demand for a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe, warning that the AAP-led Punjab government could tamper with evidence to protect a deep-rooted narcotics cartel.
“I am thankful for Amit Shah’s statement that my son’s sacrifice will not go to waste. Opposing his visit would disown Jhota’s cause and disrespect our family,” said Bhim Singh, an ex-serviceman.
Bhim also urged the home minister to avoid visiting the dharna site in Mansa and meet the aggrieved family personally.
He added that while his family welcomes support from across the political spectrum, they strictly exclude the ruling AAP.
Also Read | Aggressive anti-drug campaign made Jhota a polarising figure
The rift surfaced after leftist leader Rajwinder Singh Rana held a press conference on Sunday night along with Insaaf Committee members, declaring they would not allow Shah near the dharna site and would pressure the family to decline a meeting.
Moving forward, the family announced that Jhota’s widow, Manpreet Kaur, will represent them at all future decision-making meetings regarding the agitation.
Jhota was shot dead on October 13, allegedly by pharmacy store owner Ashwani Kumar, whom the family accuses of operating a drug cartel.
Police have arrested Kumar and three accomplices, including his wife, Neelam Rani, and Laadi and Vipin Kumar Garg, who are accused of helping Kumar flee Mansa after the murder.
Also Read | Anti-drug activist murder: Diljit Dosanjh says Jhota's family should get justice
Three-member govt team meets protesting family
A three-member government-appointed team of senior women bureaucrats met the protesting family members and their supporters at the Mansa zila parishad complex on Monday evening.
It was the first meeting between the state authorities and the protesters, who have refused to cremate the body, kept in the Mansa civil hospital’s mortuary, until their demands are met.
Jhota’s widow and father were among those who met the officials, including Faridkot divisional commissioner Kanwal Preet Brar, special secretary for housing and urban development Apneet Riyat and Mansa deputy commissioner Navjot Kaur.
After the 90-minute meeting, Riyat told reporters that the protesting family submitted a charter of demands.
She said these demands included action against officials from the police and health departments, construction of the deceased’s statue at a sports stadium, compensation for four persons injured during the firing on Jhota on October 13 and dedicating an upcoming trauma centre after his name.
She said the administration expressed that the last rites should be performed, as the authorities were empathetic toward the aggrieved family’s demands. Riyat said the second round of talks was expected to be held in the next 1-2 days.
Also Read | SGPC to put up anti-drug activist Parvinder Singh Jhota’s portrait at Central Sikh Museum
Protests staged outside AAP MLAs’ residences
Activists from various social bodies, political parties and farmer unions staged protests outside the residences of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) legislators across the state on Monday to protest Jhota’s killing.
The sit-in lasted for three hours at noon in Bathinda and other districts of south Malwa, where protesters blamed the ruling AAP government for its alleged failure to curb narcotics availability.
The Bharatiya Kisan Union (Ekta Ugrahan) and 10 other allied organisations also held a protest demonstration outside chief minister Bhagwant Mann’s residence in Sangrur.
The protesters demanded a CBI probe, resignation of chief minister Bhagwant Mann and state police chief Gaurav Yadav for their alleged failure in checking drug activities. They also demanded the dismissal of various police officers in Mansa and Jhota’s post-mortem examination at PGIMER, Chandigarh.
Following the October 13 murder, Mansa City-2 station house officer (SHO) inspector Beant Kaur was suspended on administrative grounds following allegations of police negligence.
Harsimrat writes to Shah for CBI probe
Backing the family’s demand, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Harsimrat Kaur Badal wrote to the home minister, seeking a CBI probe into Jhota’s murder.
The Bathinda MP also asked for a comprehensive investigation into the alleged politician-police drug trade nexus in Punjab.
In a letter sent to the home minister, Harsimrat highlighted how the slain anti-drug crusader’s father Bhim Singh had given a statement, but the state police had not initiated any action. She demanded that all facets of the bereaved father’s statement be probed by the CBI.
According to Harsimrat, Bhim had asserted in his statement that his son fell victim to the alleged “politician-police nexus behind the drug trade in the state” and how this nexus was receiving patronage.
She said Bhim also mentioned that his son had informed the Mansa DSP before proceeding to the medical store of Ashwani Kumar who shot him in cold blood.
The MP said Bhim had recounted the entire journey of his son, starting from how he exposed the drug trade being carried from medical stores in Mansa and how he was arrested and jailed for the same after being implicated in false cases.
What has Centre done to cross-border smuggling, Pilot questions Shah
Ahead of Union home minister Amit Shah’s Punjab visit, Punjab Congress in-charge Sachin Pilot on Monday asked him to explain what steps the BJP-led Centre had taken to prevent smuggling of drugs and arms into the border state from across the border.
Pilot said when the Union home minister comes to Punjab, he should give a reply on what the Centre has done to stop smuggling of drugs and weapons through drones.
He pointed out that the Border Security Force (BSF), deployed along the international border, had 50 km under its jurisdiction.
“What steps have you taken to prevent the supply of arms and drugs? The BJP has been at the Centre for the past 12 years. He has to reply,” said Pilot while speaking to reporters in Batala.
“What are the home ministry and the defence ministry doing? Drugs and guns, where are they coming from? Drug money supports illegal arms trade,” said Pilot, who is accompanied by Pargat Singh.
The central government should reply to those who are running gangs while sitting in jails and people are getting extortion calls. “Is not the home minister responsible for this?” he asked.
Shah on Sunday announced that he will visit Punjab on October 20 and meet the families of three people who recently died in incidents linked to opposition to the drug menace in Mansa, Sangrur and Gurdaspur.
Announcing his visit through X, the home minister also alleged that the AAP government in Punjab had left no stone unturned in pushing Punjab into the quagmire of drugs, as a result of which countless families have had to lose their children.
According to party leaders, Shah will first visit Gurdaspur to meet the family of anti-drug activist Bikramjit Singh, who was allegedly hacked to death in Mari Panwan village in Batala on October 15. While police have ruled out any drug angle, villagers have linked the murder to Bikramjit’s opposition to the drug trade in the area.
The home minister will then travel to Mansa to meet the family of anti-drug activist Parvinder Singh Jhota.
He will then head to Sangrur to meet the family of a Dalit man who allegedly died by suicide following a public spat with state finance minister Harpal Singh Cheema over allegations of “chitta” (heroin) being sold and supplied in his village. The confrontation took place during a government event in Dirba on September 8.
In the evening, he will attend the Ravana Dahan ceremony at Daresi Ground, Ludhiana, as chief guest, where he will burn a “chitta” (heroin) effigy along with Ravana to mark Dussehra.
