Anti-Drug Activist Shot Dead in Mansa Sparks Political Crisis

Anti-drug activist Parvinder Singh Jhota was shot and killed in Mansa, Punjab, on October 13, 2026. Preliminary reports indicate that a medical store owner opened fire on Jhota while the activist was conducting a live broadcast to expose the alleged sale of heroin, known locally as chitta, at the shop.

The killing triggered an immediate political backlash against the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann. Opposition leaders from the BJP, Congress, and Shiromani Akali Dal accused the administration of criminal negligence and a collapse of law and order. Critics specifically targeted the state's Yudh Nashean Virudh anti-drug campaign, characterizing it as a publicity gimmick that has failed to protect those fighting the drug mafia.

BJP National President Nitin Nabin described the murder as a serious failure of governance, while Shiromani Akali Dal General Secretary Bikram Singh Majithia demanded the resignation of the state government. AAP leader Baltej Pannu condemned the attack and confirmed that information links the crime to a chemist shop owner, promising that strict action will be taken against the guilty.