Anti-drug activist Parvinder Singh Jhota shot dead in Punjab's Mansa; attack streamed live on Facebook

Anti-drug activist Parvinder Singh Jhota was shot dead at a chemist shop in Mansa, Punjab. The fatal attack was captured live on Facebook. Read details here.

The daylight murder of anti-drug activist Parvinder Singh Jhota in Mansa has sparked a political firestorm across Punjab, with opposition parties slamming Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann's administration over alleged law-and-order failures and a ineffective crackdown on the state's drug trade.

Jhota was shot at a local chemist shop while confronting the store owner over alleged drug sales, an incident captured live on social media. He later succumbed to gunshot wounds at the Mansa Civil Hospital.

Opposition leaders target AAP over law and order

Opposition figures across political lines issued scathing criticisms of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government following the killing:

Congress leadership: Punjab Congress Chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring termed the murder a direct failure of the state’s 'Yudh Nashean Virudh' anti-drug initiative, alleging that Jhota received no official support despite his relentless advocacy. Congress MP Sukhpal Singh Khaira claimed the incident exposed a deep-rooted "Politician-Police-Drug Mafia nexus."

Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD): SAD President Sukhbir Singh Badal condemned the attack as an act of criminal negligence, stating that law and order has ceased to exist in the state. SAD leader Bikram Singh Majithia emphasized that Jhota was shot while actively documenting drug sales on camera.

BJP reaction: Union Minister Ravneet Singh Bittu criticized CM Bhagwant Mann, who holds the Home portfolio, alleging that Punjab is in the grip of fear as gangsters and drug dealers act without fear of law enforcement.

Government promises strict action against the guilty

Defending the administration, AAP leader Baltej Pannu condemned the killing and assured that law enforcement agencies would take swift, decisive action against the perpetrator.

Pannu confirmed that initial reports identify the assailant as a local medical shop owner, stressing that no individual will be permitted to take the law into their own hands in Punjab. Police authorities have heightened security in Mansa as investigations continue.

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