Amit Shah’s Gurdaspur Visit: Meeting the Family of a Fallen Anti‑Drug Warrior

Chandigarh – On Tuesday, Union Home Minister Amit Shah made a brief but emotionally‑charged stop in Punjab’s border district of Gurdaspur. He sat down with the bereaved family of Vikramjeet Singh, a local anti‑drug activist who was shot dead just a few days earlier.

The meeting lasted roughly fifteen minutes – short on time but heavy on sentiment. The family, still reeling from the loss, handed Shah a handwritten list of demands. They asked for a fair, transparent investigation into the murder, a government job for the slain activist’s brother, and some immediate financial assistance to tide them over.

Shah’s Gurdaspur trip is part of a wider Punjab tour aimed at consoling families of three high‑profile victims whose deaths have shone a harsh spotlight on the state’s drug‑trafficking nightmare. After Gurdaspur, the minister is slated to visit Mansa to meet the relatives of anti‑drug crusader Parvinder Singh Jhota, and later head to Sangrur for the family of Gulzar Singh.

Vikramjeet Singh’s death on October 15, in the village of Mari Pannwan under Hargobindpur Sahib, is said to have occurred while he was confronting local drug dealers. His killing has added to growing public anger over drug‑related violence and the perceived impunity of traffickers.

Meanwhile, the state government, led by the Aam Aadmi Party, publicly reaffirmed its support for Parvinder Singh Jhota’s family. In response to their demand, the Punjab administration promised to hand the case over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), a move welcomed by opposition leaders but criticized as tardy.

Former state BJP chief Sunil Jakhar seized the moment on social media, accusing the AAP government of “finally bowing to public outrage” and urging the Union Home Minister to ensure the CBI probe is swift, thorough, and wide‑ranging enough to expose the entire drug nexus.

Beyond the condolence visits, Shah’s itinerary also includes attending Dussehra celebrations at Daresi Ground in Ludhiana, where the anti‑drug narrative is expected to feature prominently, underscoring the government’s push to link cultural events with the drug‑free message.

In short, the Home Minister’s Gurdaspur stop was more than a courtesy call – it signaled a federal acknowledgement of the deep‑seated drug crisis in Punjab and a promise, at least on paper, to pursue justice for those who dared to speak out.