Story perspectives

Amit Shah pledges CBI action on Punjab drug killings

By Drooid · Oct 21, 2026, 4:11 AM UTC · How we work

Left

Call for CBI Probe

Home Minister Amit Shah visited Punjab October 20-21 2026, meeting families of anti-drug activists in Gurdaspur, Sangrur and Mansa.
Local families and civil groups demanded accountability and a central CBI probe, accusing the Punjab government and the centre of neglecting the drug crisis.
Protesters staged demonstrations, demanding compensation and fast-track courts.
Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema said centre ignored manufacturers in Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Rajasthan.

Right

Humanitarian Trip Assertion

Union Home Minister Amit Shah visited Punjab on October 20-21 2026, meeting families of slain anti-drug activists in Gurdaspur, Sangrur and Mansa.
He asserted the trip was purely humanitarian and rejected claims it served any political purpose.
Shah offered condolences to the families of Bikramjit Singh, Gulzar Singh and Parvinder Singh Jhota.
He pledged drug-free Punjab by 31 December 2029 and said CBI will prosecute perpetrators.

Center

Zero Arrests Alleged

Union Home Minister Amit Shah visited Punjab on October 20-21, 2026, meeting families of anti-drug activists killed in Gurdaspur, Sangrur and Mansa.
The minister alleged no arrests have been made in Punjab under the Prevention of Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act.
Punjab Minister Bhagwant Mann said the Jhota murder case will move to the CBI.
Shah said drugs worth Rs 20,000 crore were seized at ports in Gujarat and Maharashtra.

Blindspot

Union Home Minister Amit Shah said drugs worth Rs 20,000 crore had been seized at ports in Gujarat and Maharashtra.
Within this story's sources, this detail appears mainly in Center-leaning coverage and receives less attention in Left-leaning and Right-leaning coverage overall.

History

Historical Context

The NDNDPS Act, introduced on 23 August 1985 and enacted on 14 November 1985 under Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, created the Narcotics Control Bureau (March 1986) and has been amended four times, most recently in 2021. Amit Shah’s October 2026 Punjab visit revives that federal enforcement framework, promising central investigations as the state grapples with a growing drug crisis.

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Call for CBI Probe

Home Minister Amit Shah visited Punjab October 20-21 2026, meeting families of anti-drug activists in Gurdaspur, Sangrur and Mansa.
Local families and civil groups demanded accountability and a central CBI probe, accusing the Punjab government and the centre of neglecting the drug crisis.
Protesters staged demonstrations, demanding compensation and fast-track courts.
Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema said centre ignored manufacturers in Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Rajasthan.

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