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Jhota murder: Protests in Mansa, Amritsar target AAP government over drug menace
His family says it will not consent to an autopsy until its demands are met, while supporters threaten to intensify the agitation.
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The members of the Insaaf Committee, which is demanding justice in the killing of anti-drug activist Parvinder Singh Jhota, along with KMSC and Akali Dal (Waris Punjab De), held protests in Mansa and Amritsar against the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government, accusing it of failing to curb narcotics trafficking.
The demonstrators burnt brooms as part of a symbolic protest.
In Amritsar, activists of Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee (KMSC) and political outfits, including Akali Dal (Waris Punjab De), held protests at the Golden Gate and Verka bypass.
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In Mansa, the deceased’s father, Bhim Singh, led the protest and said the family would not consent to Jhota’s autopsy until the chief minister and the state police chief Gaurav Yadav resigned over their alleged failure to maintain law and order in the state.
The agitation started after the activist was shot dead on October 13 and entered its 13th day on Sunday. The members of the insaaf committee are staging a round-the-clock sit-in at two spots in Mansa.
Jhota’s body remains in the Mansa civil hospital mortuary, as the family and the action committee continue to withhold consent for the post-mortem examination until their demands are met.
KMSC state leader Sarwan Singh Pandher and district president Ranjit Singh Kaler Bala led the protest in Amritsar and criticised the state administration for failing to address the demands of Jhota’s family.
Also Read | Aggressive anti-drug campaign made Jhota a polarising figure
“If chief minister Bhagwant Mann has any moral integrity left, he must ensure immediate justice in this matter,” the leaders said.
The farmer leaders reiterated that KMSC would intensify the agitation if the government did not agree to their demands.
Akali Dal (Waris Punjab De), led by party media in-charge Shamsher Singh Padhri, along with other leaders, expressed solidarity with the Insaaf Committee.
Padhri said the protests were not confined to a single family, but represent the collective future of Punjab’s youth and the pressing need for a drug-free society.
Also Read | Jhota murder case: 4 accused sent to 14-day judicial custody
Jathedar calls for prayer meets on Oct 28
Akal Takht acting jathedar Giani Kuldeep Singh Gargaj on Sunday appealed to the community to organise congregations at gurdwaras across India and abroad on October 28, and offer prayers for justice in Jhota’s case and for the well-being and progress of Punjab’s youth.
He said the drug menace was destroying Punjab’s younger generation and urged all sections of society to support Jhota’s family in its fight for justice. The jathedar said governments needed to take special measures to help young people overcome addiction and reintegrate into the mainstream of society.
