Ahead of polls, Amit Shah attacks Mann govt for drug menace

Amit Shah said Punjab is facing a rising threat from drugs, gangsterism, and organised crime. His criticism focused on whether the state government is protecting people and enforcing the law. He asked Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann who would bear responsibility for public safety.

Shah pointed to two incidents. In Dirba, a father reportedly consumed poison under pressure. In Mansa, anti-drug activist Parvinder Singh Jhota was murdered in broad daylight. Shah said these events raised serious questions about law and order and demanded decisive action against drug networks.

He also called for impartial investigations into any political patronage received by criminals. Mann rejected the criticism and pointed to a 3,000-kg drug seizure at Kandla port in Gujarat. The dispute shows how drugs and public safety have become major election issues in Punjab.

The Dirba incident involved a father who, according to Shah, succumbed to pressure and consumed poison. The article does not provide his name or explain the pressure in detail. Shah treated the case as evidence that ordinary people may be vulnerable amid wider crime and drug-related tensions.

The second incident happened in Mansa. Parvinder Singh Jhota, who had raised his voice against drugs, was killed in broad daylight. His public anti-drug position made the killing especially significant in Shah’s argument about threats facing people who challenge drug activity.

Shah said the two incidents raised serious questions about Punjab’s law and order. He demanded answers, results, strict action against criminals, and protection for people speaking against drugs. The article gives no reported investigation findings or confirmed link between the two cases.

“Chitta” is the term Bhagwant Mann used for the drugs mentioned in his response to Amit Shah. The article identifies them parenthetically as synthetic drugs. It does not provide a chemical definition, production method, or medical description, so those details cannot be established from this report alone.

Mann referred to 3,000 kg of chitta seized at Kandla port in Gujarat. He used that seizure to challenge Shah’s criticism and argued that the Union home minister should take responsibility for duties under his own authority. The article also mentions the BSF’s 50-kilometre jurisdiction claim.

The term is linked to Punjab’s drug crisis because Shah says the drug trade is flourishing in the state. Political parties are increasingly highlighting the issue before Punjab’s assembly elections. The article does not provide a total quantity of drugs circulating in Punjab or a national comparison.

The article does not quantify the overall drug problem in Punjab. It describes the trade as flourishing and says the state faces a rising threat from drugs, gangsterism, and organised crime. Mann cites a separate 3,000-kg seizure at Kandla port in Gujarat, but that figure does not measure Punjab’s total drug market.

The issue has become prominent because political parties, including the BJP, are highlighting it in poll-bound Punjab. Shah connects drugs with public safety, criminal networks, and danger for people who speak against drugs. He also demands action against possible political patronage for criminals.

Punjab’s assembly elections are due early next year, according to the article. That timing makes drug control a central political test. Shah promises a drug-free, gangster-free, secure Punjab if his government takes power. Mann instead challenges Shah over central responsibilities and the Gujarat seizure.

If drug networks, gangsterism, and organised crime continue growing, Punjab’s people could face greater insecurity. Shah says citizens should not be forced to live under the shadow of fear. He also connects the wider threat to questions about who is responsible for public safety.

The article gives a concrete warning through Mansa, where anti-drug activist Parvinder Singh Jhota was murdered in broad daylight. Shah also cites the Dirba case involving a father who consumed poison under pressure. He says these incidents raise serious questions about law and order and protection for vulnerable people.

Continued growth could also make criminal networks harder to dismantle and deepen concerns about political patronage. Shah calls for decisive strikes against drug networks, strict action against criminals, and impartial investigations. The article does not report future crime forecasts, so these are risks implied by the concerns raised, not measured outcomes.

The article places Punjab’s government at the centre of responsibility for law and order and public safety within the state. Shah asks Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann for answers and demands action against drug networks, criminals, and any political patronage. Mann disputes Shah’s criticism and says the Union home minister should handle his own responsibilities.

The central government’s role appears through Shah’s office and the Centre’s proposed response to the Dirba and Mansa incidents. Mann says the BSF has jurisdiction over a 50-kilometre range. He also points to the seizure of 3,000 kg of chitta at Kandla port in Gujarat, arguing that central duties matter too.

The article does not define every agency’s legal powers or assign a complete division of labour. It shows overlapping responsibilities and political disagreement. Effective action would require state law enforcement, central agencies, and border-security institutions to address connected threats.

Drug trafficking networks operate by linking different stages and places. Drugs may move through transport routes, ports, border areas, and local distribution systems. Criminal groups can also rely on violence, intermediaries, and protection from compromised institutions. These networks are difficult to control because no single jurisdiction necessarily covers the whole chain.

The article illustrates the problem without mapping a specific network. Shah describes Punjab’s flourishing drug trade, rising gangsterism, and organised crime. Mann responds with the seizure of 3,000 kg of chitta at Kandla port in Gujarat and mentions the BSF’s 50-kilometre jurisdiction. Shah also calls for investigation of possible political patronage.

Together, these details show why enforcement can become a dispute between state and central authorities. Fighting such networks requires coordination across locations and institutions, alongside impartial investigations. The article does not identify suppliers, routes, officials, or a confirmed trafficking organisation, so those details remain unestablished here.