Amit Shah Says MHA Will Seek Punjab's Reply on Jhota Killing, Dirba Deathਅਮਿਤ ਸ਼ਾਹ: ਗ੍ਰਹਿ ਮੰਤਰਾਲਾ ਝੋਟਾ ਹੱਤਿਆ ਤੇ ਦਿੜਬਾ ਮੌਤ ਬਾਰੇ ਪੰਜਾਬ ਤੋਂ ਜਵਾਬ ਮੰਗੇਗਾ

Union Home Minister Amit Shah said on Friday that the Home Ministry will seek responses from the Punjab government on two recent cases: the October 13 killing of anti-drug activist Parvinder Singh Jhota in Mansa and the death of a father in Dirba. In a post on X, he asked who will take responsibility for the safety of Punjab's people. AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal hit back within hours, accusing the BJP of colluding with drug traffickers.

What did Amit Shah say?

Shah said Punjab is grappling with the rising threat of drugs, gangsterism and organised crime. "The biggest question before the Bhagwant Mann government is: who will bear the responsibility for the safety of Punjab's people?" he wrote, as quoted by The Hindu and The Times of India. He said the Dirba death and Jhota's killing have raised serious questions about law and order, and that Jhota's father has made grave allegations against the AAP government and its MLA. Those are the father's allegations, and the state government has not accepted them.

Shah told the Mann government that Punjab wants "answers, not announcements" and urged decisive action against drug networks and an impartial investigation into any political patronage received by criminals. He also said the BJP would work for a "drug-free, gangster-free and secure Punjab" if it forms the government.

What are the two cases?

Jhota, 45, was shot dead on October 13 at a medical store in Mansa after confronting its owner over the alleged sale of addictive drugs. The confrontation was streamed live on Facebook and four other people were injured, according to The Times of India. The owner was arrested at Salasar in Rajasthan on October 14. His father, Bhim Singh, has refused to cremate the body until his demands are met: the resignation of the chief minister and the DGP, a CBI probe, action against local police officers and the release of detained activists, ANI reported.

The Dirba case involves Gulzar Singh, 47, of Toor Banjara village in Sangrur district. The Hindu has reported that he died after he was allegedly pressured by local AAP supporters to apologise for questioning Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema about drugs in his village at an event on September 6.

How did AAP and the Punjab government respond?

Kejriwal said on X that the BJP had colluded with its former alliance partner between 2007 and 2017 to flood Punjab with drugs, and accused it of now trying to destabilise the state again, ANI reported. He also raised Punjab's waters, Panjab University and Chandigarh. These are political allegations from the AAP convener.

Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said on Thursday that the opposition was politicising the killing and that nobody involved, including anyone who planned or conspired in the crime, would be spared, The Indian Express reported. Mansa SHO Beant Kaur has been suspended and two more people, including the accused's wife, have been booked. The Punjab bandh over the killing was held on October 15.

Why does the Centre's move matter?

Law and order is a state subject, so a Home Ministry request for a report is a formal step and not a takeover. It puts the Jhota case directly into the Centre-versus-Mann government contest ahead of the 2027 Punjab election. It is not yet clear what form the reply will take or when it will be sent.

What is the Home Ministry asking Punjab?

Shah said the ministry will seek the state government's responses on the Dirba death and the killing of Parvinder Singh Jhota in Mansa. He did not say what format or deadline the request would carry.

Has the CBI been asked to probe the Jhota killing?

Not so far. Jhota's father and opposition parties have demanded a CBI probe, but the state police are investigating and Shah's statement did not announce a central agency inquiry.

What has Kejriwal said in reply?

He accused the BJP of colluding with drug traffickers and of protecting gangsters, and said Punjab would not allow a repeat of what he called past attempts to ruin the state.