Anti-drug activist’s father welcomes Shah’s Mansa visit, rejects protest panel’s call

A 72-year-old retired ex-serviceman and father of a slain anti-drug activist publicly rejected calls from a protest committee to block a scheduled visit by Union Home Minister Amit Shah to Mansa, Punjab. The activist was shot dead on October 13, allegedly by a pharmacy store owner accused of operating a local drug cartel. The grieving father stated that any protests against the visiting minister would be considered a personal insult and an affront to his son's sacrifice, expressing trust that the central government would deliver justice.

The killing has triggered widespread protests across Punjab, with activists, farmer unions, and opposition parties demonstrating outside the residences of ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) legislators and the Chief Minister's home. Protesters and family members have accused the state government of failing to curb narcotics and demanded a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe, alleging that local authorities might tamper with evidence to protect a deep-rooted politician-police drug cartel.

Meanwhile, a government-appointed panel of senior women bureaucrats held a preliminary meeting with the protesting family to discuss their charter of demands, which included administrative action against negligent officials, financial compensation, and memorial tributes. While the family refuses to perform the last rites until their demands are met, the Union Home Minister announced plans to visit the families of victims impacted by drug-related violence in Punjab.

Not yet reported: The exact outcome of the scheduled political visits and the final agreement between the protesting family and state authorities are not reported.