Chandigarh, October 20: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday visited Punjab and met the family of Bikramjit Singh, a 40-year-old man from Gurdaspur district who was killed on October 15 in an incident allegedly linked to opposition to drug peddling.
Shah arrived in Punjab for a day-long visit to Gurdaspur, Sangrur and Mansa to meet the families of people who recently died in incidents associated with the state’s drug problem.
After landing in Batala, the Home Minister travelled to Mari Panwan village to meet Bikramjit Singh’s family.
Villagers have alleged that Bikramjit was targeted for raising his voice against drug trafficking in the area. However, police have stated that the killing resulted from a clash between two groups over a mobile phone.
A family member said Shah listened to their concerns, examined their memorandum of demands and assured them that justice would be delivered.
Gurnam Singh, Bikramjit’s uncle, also said the Home Minister assured the family of a fair outcome. Former Punjab BJP chief Ashwani Sharma said the family had expressed concerns about receiving justice under the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government.
Shah was accompanied by Punjab BJP chief Kewal Singh Dhillon during his visit to Batala. Security arrangements were strengthened across the three districts ahead of the Home Minister’s visit.
Shah to Meet Families in Sangrur and Mansa
After meeting Bikramjit’s family, Shah is scheduled to visit Sangrur to meet the family of Gulzar Singh, a Dalit man who died by suicide on September 7.
Gulzar’s family has alleged that he took the extreme step after facing harassment and caste-based remarks for questioning Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema about the supply of drugs in his locality.
Shah is also scheduled to visit Mansa to meet the family of anti-drug activist Parvinder Singh Jhota, who was shot dead on October 13 inside a medical store in a busy marketplace.
Jhota was known for campaigning against the illegal sale of addictive substances at chemist shops. According to reports, he was shot after questioning a medical store owner over the alleged sale of addictive drugs to an elderly customer. The incident reportedly occurred while Jhota was broadcasting live on Facebook.
The accused, identified as Ashwani Kumar, was arrested in Rajasthan’s Salasar.
Jhota’s father, Bhim Singh, had said he would seek a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into his son’s murder during his meeting with Shah. Hours before the Home Minister’s visit, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann announced that the state government had decided to transfer the case to the CBI.
Drug Menace Becomes Political Flashpoint
Shah’s Punjab visit comes amid an intensifying political debate over drug trafficking and substance abuse in the state, which is scheduled to hold Assembly elections early next year.
The Home Minister had announced his plan to meet the families of those who recently lost their lives after raising concerns about the drug menace in Mansa, Sangrur and Gurdaspur.
It is Shah’s second visit to poll-bound Punjab in 20 days. On September 30, he visited Jalandhar and addressed a rally marking the conclusion of the BJP’s ‘Nasha Mukt Punjab Yatra’.
He is also scheduled to attend the Ravan Dahan ceremony at Daresi Grounds in Ludhiana as part of the Dussehra celebrations.
The BJP and other opposition parties have repeatedly criticised the AAP government over drug trafficking and law-and-order issues.
Meanwhile, AAP leaders have challenged the BJP-led Centre to explain how drugs are allegedly smuggled into Punjab from Pakistan and through ports in Gujarat.
Punjab AAP president Aman Arora accused Shah of engaging in political rhetoric, while Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema sought answers from the Centre on drug trafficking, gangster activity and extortion.
The issue of drugs and the state’s response to trafficking is expected to remain a major political flashpoint ahead of the Assembly elections.
