Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday mounted a sharp attack on the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Government over Punjab’s worsening drug menace, accusing it of failing to protect those opposing narcotics and allowing the trade to flourish under political patronage. After visiting the families of three victims in Gurdaspur, Sangrur, and Mansa, Shah pledged to eradicate drugs from Punjab by December 31, 2029, questioned the State’s failure to make arrests under the stringent Prevention of Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (PIT-NDPS) law, and urged Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann to act against the chitta (Heroin) trade instead of trading accusations.
He later addressed a Dussehra gathering in Ludhiana and set fire to a 121-foot effigy of Ravana at Daresi ground.
Shah said he had travelled to Punjab to console grieving families, not to pursue a political agenda, but the accounts he heard had deeply shaken him.
“I have never felt so deeply saddened in life,” he said, describing the loss of sons, brothers, and husbands to incidents linked to the drug trade.
Recalling the State government’s promise to eliminate drugs within three months of coming to power, he asked what answer it had for families who had lost their loved ones. “Except excuses, I have not heard any answer from them till today,” he said, alleging that people who raised their voices against narcotics were either driven to suicide or killed.
Responding to criticism directed at him during his visit, Shah said, “You can abuse me as much as you want, but end the chitta trade.” He also questioned what he described as a contradiction between the AAP’s advocacy of freedom of expression in Delhi and the alleged assault on people in Punjab for displaying black flags against the CM.
Shah began his visit at Mari Pannuan village near Batala in Gurdaspur district, where he met the family of Bikramjit Singh, who was allegedly murdered on October 15 after opposing drug-related activities in his area. The meeting lasted around 15 minutes. Shah offered condolences, touched the feet of Bikramjit’s mother, Surjit Kaur, and assured the family that justice would be delivered.
The family submitted a memorandum seeking action against those responsible. It also sought a job for Bikramjit’s niece, Rajdeep Kaur, along with financial assistance. Family members said Shah had assured them of a CBI inquiry and action against the accused.
From Gurdaspur, Shah travelled to Toor Banjara village in Sangrur district to meet the family of Gulzar Singh, who died by suicide after allegedly facing humiliation over questions concerning drugs to State Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema. Shah spoke to Gulzar’s wife, Pal Kaur, and other relatives, heard their account of the events and consoled his son, Prabhjot Singh.
The family demanded a CBI investigation and registration of a case against the Minister, whose alleged role it wants investigated. Shah assured them that justice would be pursued and said they could expect it within two to three months. He also promised to attend Gulzar’s final prayer ceremony after justice was delivered.
The family has not immersed Gulzar’s ashes or held the final prayer ceremony, insisting that it would do so only after the guilty were punished. Shah also met the family of Sanamdeep Singh, who died by suicide, during his Sangrur visit.
His final stop was Mansa, where he met the family of anti-drug activist Parvinder Singh Jhota, who was killed last week. Shah met Jhota’s father Bhim Singh, mother Amarjit Kaur, wife Manpreet Kaur, and other family members, assuring them of justice. Bhim Singh, a former serviceman, had sought action against those responsible for his son’s death.
Shah told the family that a CBI team would reach Mansa by noon on Wednesday, October 21, and begin the investigation. According to family members, he asked them to wait for 24 hours for further action. They said their demand for justice would continue until the facts emerged and the guilty were brought to book.
The Union Minister also met Mohanjeet Sheron, who had alleged that he was assaulted after displaying black flags to the CM.
Shah, at his press conference at PAU Ludhiana, challenged the Punjab Government to explain why it had made no arrests under the PIT-NDPS Act. He said 929 people had been apprehended under the law across the country over the past year, while Punjab had recorded zero arrests under it.
He also cited the seizure of drugs worth Rs 20,000 crore at ports in Gujarat and Maharashtra, rejecting the State Government’s criticism over the routes through which narcotics enter Punjab. He argued that the scale of the trade in the State raised serious questions about political protection.
Shah further accused the Government of failing to demonstrate seriousness in tackling the crisis, claiming that the Chief Minister had not attended any of the 48 meetings held with states on the issue. He said he would use his authority to pursue the fight against narcotics and appealed to political parties and the public to unite against drugs.