CHANDIGARH: Union Home Minister Amit Shah will visit Punjab on October 20, BJP leader Ravneet Singh Bittu said on Sunday, without sharing further details of the visit.
On a post of X, Bittu wrote, "Punjab welcomes Hon'ble Union Home Minister Shri @AmitShah Ji on his visit to Punjab on 20th October. At a time when Punjab is battling the grave menace of drugs, we need decisive action, strong leadership and a firm resolve to secure our youth and our future."
The AAP government in Punjab has lost its mandate much before the completion of its term, Bittu said, appealing to Punjabis to support Shah and have faith in the BJP's mission to make the state drug-free. It will be Shah's second visit to Punjab within a month. He had visited Jalandhar on September 30 and addressed a rally marking the culmination of the BJP's 'Nasha Mukt Punjab Yatra', which began on September 18.
Sources said that Shah would visit Mansa to meet the family of anti-drug activist Parvinder Singh Jhota, who was shot dead on October 13. He would then travel to Gurdaspur to meet the family of anti-drug activist Bikramjit Singh and may also visit Sangrur to meet the family of daily-wager Gulzar Singh.
Jhota was allegedly shot dead by a medical store owner in Mansa on October 13 following an objection to drug-related activities. Two days later, on the night of October 15, Bikramjit Singh was allegedly killed at Mari Panwan village in Gurdaspur district after opposing drug sales.
On September 7, Gulzar Singh, a Dalit labourer from Toor Banjara village in Sangrur, allegedly died by suicide after being pressured by local AAP leaders to apologise for questioning Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema at a public meeting over the alleged sale and supply of “chitta” (heroin) in his village.
Ministry of Home Affairs had on Friday written three letters to the Punjab Chief Secretary seeking detailed reports on the recent alleged drug-related deaths and killings of Jhota in Mansa, Bikramjit Singh in Gurdaspur and Gulzar Singh in Sangrur.
It will be Shah’s second visit to Punjab within a month. He had visited Jalandhar on September 30 and addressed a rally marking the culmination of the BJP’s ‘Nasha Mukt Punjab Yatra’, which began on September 18.
