On Saturday, Kewal Singh Dhillon, the Punjab BJP chief, rallied in Mansa and urged residents to don black turbans and dupattas to protest the October 13 killing of anti‑drug activist Parvinder Singh Jhota.
Jhota, known for exposing illegal drug sales in Mansa, was shot dead by a medical store owner after confronting him on a live Facebook session.
Dhillon met Jhota’s parents, offered condolences, and called for a Central Bureau of Investigation probe, arguing that state justice was unlikely.
He accused the AAP government of failing its three‑month drug‑elimination promise and of shielding drug traffickers, citing other high‑profile deaths such as singer Sidhu Moosewala.
The BJP’s letter to Punjab Governor and its appeal to Union Home Minister Amit Shah signal a push for federal scrutiny, with Shah reportedly seeking explanations on three drug‑related cases.
A statewide black‑turban march is slated for next week, and Dhillon expects the central government to pressure the Punjab administration to launch an independent inquiry.