Ludhiana (Punjab) [India], October 20 : Ahead of Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s visit to Punjab, where he will meet the families of anti-drug activists who lost their lives fighting, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Ravneet Singh Bittu on Tuesday said Shah will meet the families of people who recently lost their lives after raising their voices against drug traffickers, adding that the drug menace had become a major law and order issue in the state.
Speaking to the reporters, Bittu said Shah would first visit the residence of Parvinder Singh Jhota’s (murdered anti-drug activist) family.
“Father of Parvinder Singh Jhota said this again and again that if anyone can do justice, it is the CBI...So, the HM would land in Amritsar and head to their residence in Batala, Gurdaspur first. After that, he will visit the residence of Gulzar Singh (father of a substance-dependent youth).‘Chitta’ has become a major issue in the law and order here. Deaths are occurring due to drugs; people are also being killed. When Ravan is killed, the demon-like ‘Chitta’ would also be killed...” Bittu said.
Bittu also welcomed Shah’s visit to Ludhiana, “In Ludhiana for hundreds of years, this Dussehra has been celebrated here. All of us thank our leader and the Home Minister of the country, who is coming to Ludhiana to kill ‘evil’. We welcome him and thank him.” 
Meanwhile, Shah will meet the families of people who recently lost their lives after raising their voices against drug traffickers in Punjab’s Mansa, Sangrur and Gurdaspur districts on Tuesday.
In a post on X, Shah accused the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government of pushing Punjab deeper into the drug crisis, alleging that its policies have contributed to the loss of many young lives.
He alleged that drug traffickers dealing in ‘chitta’ (a commonly used term for heroin in Punjab) were flourishing under the AAP government’s protection and said he would meet the bereaved families of those who had spoken out against the illegal drug trade.
Expressing his condolences, Shah said the pain of the families who had lost their loved ones was beyond words. He asserted that attempts to silence voices raised against the drug trade would never succeed and that the people of Punjab would give a strong response to those responsible.
Shah further stated that the Government of India would identify and send drug traffickers to prison and reiterated its commitment to making Punjab, along with the rest of the country, free from the menace of drugs.
The proposed meetings come amid the political debate over drug trafficking in Punjab, with the BJP targeting the AAP government over the issue and demanding stronger action against those involved in the illegal drug trade.