CHANDIGARH: Highlighting the Central Government’s seriousness regarding the drug problem and the prevailing situation in Punjab, Union Home Minister Amit Shah will meet families affected by drugs during his visit to the state. Sharing this information, Punjab BJP President Kewal Singh Dhillon said that the Home Minister would meet the family of Parminder Singh Jhotta in Mansa, the family of Gulzar Singh in Toor Banjara village of Sangrur district, and the family of Bikramjit Singh in Mari Panwan village of Gurdaspur district.
Kewal Singh Dhillon said that, given the drug problem in Punjab and the growing concern among the people, Home Minister Amit Shah’s visit to the state is extremely significant. He said the visit has sparked a new hope for families affected by drugs, as their concerns will be heard seriously and efforts will be made to ensure justice for them. He thanked Amit Shah for this initiative.
Dhillon also thanked Sardar Bhim Singh Fauji, father of Parminder Singh Jhotta, for expressing his faith in Home Minister Shri Amit Shah. He said that the people of Punjab and the affected families want concrete action against drugs and justice for the victims. He expressed hope that the Home Minister’s intervention would ensure that these cases are pursued seriously.
Targeting the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Punjab, Dhillon said that at a time when the state is struggling with the serious problem of drugs and people are waiting for justice, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s foreign visits raise several questions. He said Punjab currently needs a government that delivers results on the ground rather than merely issuing statements. According to him, while families across Punjab continue to suffer from the devastating impact of drugs, the performance of the state government is facing persistent scrutiny.
State BJP President Dhillon said that Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and Home Minister Shri Amit Shah are committed to making Punjab drug-free. With this objective, a commitment has been made to eliminate drugs from Punjab by December 31, 2029. He said the fight against drugs is a fight to safeguard the future of Punjab’s younger generation, its families and generations to come.
He said that freeing Punjab from the menace of drugs requires strict action, dismantling drug trafficking networks and taking concrete steps to rehabilitate people affected by substance abuse. Dhillon expressed confidence that the Central Government would remain committed to making Punjab drug-free and ensuring justice for affected families.
In Mansa, the Home Minister is expected to meet the family of anti-drug activist Parvinder Singh Jhota, who was shot dead on October 13, allegedly following a confrontation with a chemist over the sale of intoxicating medicines.
The visit has also exposed differences between sections of the action committee leading the Mansa agitation and Jhota’s family. Some committee members have opposed allowing Shah to address the protest gathering, questioning the Centre’s record on drugs and accusing the BJP of seeking political advantage.
Jhota’s father, Bhim Singh, has welcomed the proposed meeting and appealed against protests during the visit. He has expressed hope that Shah will help secure justice and said he intends to demand a CBI investigation into his son’s killing.
The exchange has intensified the debate over responsibility for Punjab’s drug crisis, with AAP questioning the Centre over supply routes and the BJP demanding accountability from the state government over enforcement and the safety of anti-drug activists.