The murder of Mansa-based activist Parvinder Singh Jhota, while he was filing his verbal confrontation with a chemist shop owner who was allegedly selling illicit drugs last week, is emerging as a major political challenge for Bhagwant Mann’s Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Punjab, with state elections barely five months away.
The Justice Committee formed during the protest in Mansa has announced that demonstrations will be held outside the homes of AAP MLAs across Punjab on October 19.
Opposition Turns Up The Heat
The BJP and the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) have launched attacks on the state government. The BJP has demanded a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the killing, with its national president Nitin Nabin questioning how people fighting against drugs could remain safe if the state failed to protect them. SAD leader Bikram Singh Majithia has gone further, demanding the dissolution of the state government and the imposition of President’s Rule. Congress leaders have described the killing as a reflection of the state’s deteriorating law-and-order situation and questioned the government’s ability to tackle the drug menace. Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has promised strict action against everyone found involved in the murder.
“The main accused was arrested within 24 hours, and the investigation is underway.
Punjab Congress president Pargat Singh said the party stood firmly with Jhota’s family. Mann said he had directed Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav to conduct a thorough investigation. If anyone is found involved in a conspiracy behind this murder, they too will not be spared,” Mann said. He also said the government was pursuing a zero-tolerance policy against drug trafficking and the illegal sale of addictive substances.
