E-Paper
Centre seeks Punjab reports on drug-linked killings, suicide
The move came amid a public clash between Amit Shah and Bhagwant Mann over drug trafficking, border security and political accountability.
Prefer HTon Google
The Union home ministry on Friday sought reports from Punjab’s Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government on the recent deaths of three men who took on the drug trade, a development that was prefaced by Union home minister Amit Shah and chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann trading blame over the issue earlier in the day.
In three separate letters to the state chief secretary, the home ministry sought reports from the Punjab government over three cases: the murder of anti-drug activist Parvinder Singh “Jhota”, who was shot dead in a pharmacy in Mansa; the death by suicide of a 50-year-old man in Dirba, Sangrur, after facing allegedy harassment and casteist slurs for questioning the state finance minister about local drug supplies; and the killing of a 40-year-old man who objected to drugs being peddlled in Madi Pannwan village near Sri Hargobindpur in Batala.
The Centre’s move comes even as the drug issue takes centre stage in Punjab in the run-up to assembly elections due early next year.
Also read: Centre seeks Punjab govt report on activist Jhota’s murder, measures to prevent drug trafficking
Shah and Mann Trade Blame Over Drugs
“Punjab is today grappling with a rising threat of drugs, gangsterism, and organised crime,” Shah posted on X earlier, adding that Jhota’s father had levelled grave allegations against the ruling AAP government.
Addressing Mann directly, Shah declared: “Bhagwant Mann ji, the people of Punjab do not want promises, they want answers; not announcements, but results; decisive strikes against drug networks; and an impartial investigation into any political patronage received by criminals.”
Also read: Punjab: Mann raps Oppn for politicising murder
Soon after Shah’s remarks, Chief minister Bhagwant Mann gave a riposte, also on X, targeting the Centre over border control and maritime security.
“Amit Shah ji, you should have consulted your advisers before speaking about me. The 50-km range (from the international border) is with the Border Security Force (BSF). 3,000 kilos of ‘chitta’ (heroin) is being seized from Kandla port in Gujarat,” Mann wrote.
He added, “Before blaming Bhagwant Mann, handle your own responsibility. Don’t copy-paste pre-written tweets through your sycophants.”
AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal joined the debate. “If you care even a tiny bit about Punjab, then stop the drugs coming into the country through Gujarat’s Mundra and Adani ports,” he said. He said that the drug problem grew under previous regimes and argued that a vast majority of illicit substances entering Punjab flow through ports controlled under central oversight.
Also read: Pilot begins 5-day Punjab yatra today, to meet families hit by gang violence
Faceoff amid Batala killing
The exchange between the BJP-led Centre and the AAP government came a day after
Reinforcing the BJP’s attack, party president Nitin Nabin said that the drug crisis has reached an “alarming level”. “What has Punjab come to when leading voices in society fighting against drugs must fear for their lives? The people of Punjab deserve accountability and a government that can keep them safe,” he said.
Shah’s intervention follows the BJP’s 13-day, 4,000-km ‘Nasha Mukt Punjab Yatra’, which covered all 117 assembly constituencies and culminated in a rally he addressed in Jalandhar. Shah pledged that if the BJP is voted to power, it will eliminate the state’s drug trade by December 31, 2029.
Also read: Villager confronts drug peddlers, hacked to death in Punjab’s Batala
Punjab Launches a 60-Day Drug Crackdown
Meanwhile, facing sharp criticism following the murder of Parvinder Singh Jhota, the Punjab government on Friday launched a targeted 60-day plan to dismantle drug networks in the state, primarily focusing on 435 identified hotspots.
CM Bhagwant Mann chaired a high-level review of the state’s Yudh Nashean Virudh (War Against Drugs) campaign at the Punjab Police Academy in Phillaur, bringing together deputy commissioners, senior superintendents of police, sub divisional magistrates, and deputy superintendents of police.
DGP Gaurav Yadav said, “Over the next two months, the state’s strategy will shift from an arrest-centric approach to a network-centric model designed to disrupt supply chains and neutralise financial incentives.”
Intelligence inputs, village defence committees (VDCs), and district assessments helped identify the 435 hotspots, where police said they have mapped 2,913 listed peddlers and 312 major suppliers.
(With inputs from Navrajdeep Singh)
Frequently Asked Questions
