New Delhi, Oct 16 (IANS) Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President Nitin Nabin on Friday called for "decisive action" against the drug mafia in Punjab, saying that the people of the state deserve accountability and a "government that can keep them safe". He cited the alleged murder of 40-year-old Bikramjit Singh in Punjab's Gurdaspur, days after the purported murder of anti-drug activist Parvinder Singh Jhota by a medical store owner in the state's Mansa district.

In a post on the social media platform 'X', Nabin said: "Punjab’s drug crisis has reached an alarming level. The killing of 40-year-old Bikramjit Singh in Gurdaspur, just two days after anti-drug activist Parvinder Singh Jhota was killed in Mansa, raises serious questions about the collapse of law and order under the AAP government." He questioned: "What has Punjab come to when leading voices in society fighting against drugs must fear for their lives?" Nabin further said that Punjab needs "decisive action against the drug mafia" and safety for its citizens.

"The people of Punjab deserve accountability and a government that can keep them safe," he added. Earlier in the day, Union Home Minister Amit Shah raised concerns over the alleged rise in drug trafficking, gangsterism and organised crime in Punjab, questioning the Bhagwant Mann-led government over the safety of the state's residents. In a post on social media platform X in Hindi, HM Shah said recent incidents in Dirba and Mansa had raised serious questions about the law-and-order situation in the state.

"Punjab is today grappling with the rising threats of drugs, gangsterism, and organised crime. The biggest question before the Bhagwant Mann government is: who will ultimately take responsibility for the safety of Punjab's people," he said. HM Shah further said that the Home Ministry will also seek responses from the Punjab government on both these incidents. "In Dirba, a father taking poison under pressure, and in Mansa, the broad-daylight murder of Parvinder Singh Jhotta, who had raised his voice against drugs, have raised serious questions about law and order in Punjab. Parvinder's father has levelled grave allegations against the AAP government and their MLA. The Home Ministry will also seek responses from the Punjab government on both these incidents," he said.

--IANS