Shah to meet kin of 3 whose deaths revived Punjab’s drug debate

Chandigarh: Union home minister Amit Shah will visit Punjab on Tuesday to meet the families of people whose deaths have revived the debate around the drug menace in the poll-bound state. He will also attend Dussehra celebrations in Ludhiana, where an effigy billed as the ‘Ravan of Chitta’ will be burnt. Chitta is used for heroin in local parlance.The visit has triggered a political slugfest, with AAP and Congress criticising the Centre over the smuggling of drugs from Pakistan.After landing in Amritsar, Shah will visit Mari Panwan village in Gurdaspur district at noon to meet the family of Bikramjit Singh, who was allegedly hacked to death on Oct 15 for opposing drug sales. At 1.30pm, he will travel to Toor Banjara village in Sangrur district to meet the family of Gulzar Singh, who died by suicide on Sept 7 after allegedly being harassed for questioning finance minister Harpal Cheema over drug sales in his village.Shah will then reach Mansa at 2.30pm to meet the family of anti-drug activist Parminder Singh Jhota, who was killed on Oct 13. A protest demanding justice in the case is underway in the town.The Union minister is scheduled to address the media at Punjab Agricultural University in Ludhiana at 3.30pm before attending the Dussehra function at Ramlila Ground at 4.30pm.AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal, without naming Shah in a post on X, said the BJP could not manage law and order in its own states.Punjab finance minister Harpal Singh Cheema also targeted the BJP-led Centre over gangsterism, drug trafficking and extortion, questioning why reports of criminal activity and threatening calls linked to jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi continued despite his incarceration in Sabarmati Jail. “The BJP cannot evade responsibility for these issues. Cases involving murder, extortion and kidnapping have been registered against Lawrence Bishnoi in different parts of the country,” he said.Shiromani Akali Dal MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal wrote to Shah seeking a CBI probe into Jhota’s murder and a wider investigation into what she called a “politician-police-drug mafia nexus in Punjab”. She said a comprehensive probe was needed to expose drug networks and protect young people.Punjab Congress in-charge Sachin Pilot said Shah’s visit would mean little without concrete action to improve law and order. He said the Centre had a responsibility to prevent illegal arms and drugs from entering through the Pakistan border.Ludhiana deputy commissioner of police (headquarters) Paramjit Singh said 2,500 personnel had been deployed for Shah’s visit, with another 2,000 sought as additional force. “Several roads leading to the venues will be declared no-vehicle zones,” he said.You Can Also Check: Gold Rate in Chandigarh | Silver Rate in Chandigarh | Bank Holidays in Chandigarh | Public Holidays in Chandigarh | Chandigarh AQI | Weather in Chandigarh | Petrol Price in Chandigarh | Diesel Price in Chandigarh | CNG Price in Chandigarh | LPG Price in ChandigarhStay updated with the latest Chandigarh news. Download the TOI App.