Bhagwant Mann Says Anti-Drug Activist's Killing Case To Be Handed To CBI

Political sparring over the murder of anti-drug activist Parminder Singh Jhota intensified in Punjab on Tuesday, with Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann announcing that the case would be handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), triggering sharp reactions from the BJP and Congress ahead of Union Home Minister Amit Shah's visit to the state.

Mann announced the decision in a post on X, saying the state government stood with Jhota's father and family, who had been fighting against drugs. He said the decision to transfer the case to the CBI had been taken in response to the family's demand.

"Our fight against drug dealers is absolute. We will not step back from taking whatever tough steps are required to make Punjab drug-free," Mann said in his post.

Known for raising his voice against the illegal sale of addictive substances at pharmacy shops, Jhota was shot in broad daylight inside a medical store at a busy marketplace in Mansa on October 13.

Ashwani Kumar, the store owner who opened fire at Jhota after he questioned him for selling drugs to an elderly man, was taken into custody from Rajasthan's Salasar.

The incident, which took place while Jhota was hosting a Facebook Live, triggered a political slugfest in Punjab, which goes to polls early next year.

Seven days after Jhota was shot dead, his post-mortem and cremation are yet to take place as his family members and supporters refuse to allow last rites until they get justice.

Since his killing, Jhota's family and supporters have been staging a protest in Mansa.

The announcement has triggered a fresh political confrontation, with the opposition questioning the state government's handling of the drug menace and law and order, while the ruling Aam Aadmi Party government has maintained its commitment to combating drug trafficking.

Bittu accuses Mann government of bowing to public pressure

Reacting to the decision, BJP's Ravneet Singh Bittu accused the Mann government of being forced to transfer the case to the CBI after facing public opposition.

In a strongly worded post in Punjabi, Bittu claimed that the government had been compelled to bow before mounting public anger. He alleged that Punjab had been left at the mercy of drug traffickers and gangsters for four-and-a-half years.

Bittu also linked the timing of the decision to Amit Shah's scheduled visit to Punjab, saying the Union Home Minister was coming to fulfil the people's demand for decisive action against drugs and to pledge to uproot the menace.

He alleged that the state government had handed over the Jhota case to the CBI overnight to cover up its failures ahead of Shah's visit.

The BJP leader's remarks have added a political dimension to the case, with the opposition seeking to turn the transfer of the investigation into a question of accountability for the state government's anti-drug campaign.

Pargat Singh targets BJP over drug menace

Punjab Congress president Pargat Singh also attacked the BJP over the drug problem, alleging that the narcotics trade had expanded during the party's years in power in Gujarat and at the Centre.

In a post on X, Pargat alleged that Punjab's youth were being pushed into the drug crisis under political and police patronage.

His remarks brought the BJP into the line of fire even as the party targeted the AAP government over the Jhota murder case and its handling of drugs in Punjab.

Jhota case becomes fresh flashpoint in Punjab politics

The decision to transfer the investigation to the CBI has emerged as a fresh flashpoint in Punjab's drug debate, with the ruling AAP, BJP and Congress trading allegations over responsibility for the crisis.

For the Mann government, the CBI probe is a response to the demand raised by Jhota's family. For the BJP, the move is an admission of the state government's failure to ensure justice. The Congress, meanwhile, has broadened the debate to question the BJP's own record on tackling drugs.

With Amit Shah's visit approaching, the Jhota murder case is set to figure prominently in the political discourse around Punjab's drug crisis, with the opposition likely to press the state government on law and order and the effectiveness of its anti-drug campaign.

The CBI's investigation will now be closely watched by Jhota's family and political parties, with the demand for justice in the case becoming intertwined with the wider battle over who is accountable for Punjab's drug problem.