Protesters in Mansa demand CM and police chief’s resignation after anti‑drug activist’s killing

UPDATE - follow-up to In Punjab, the highway to 2027: Protesters have set up a permanent sit‑in in Mansa town demanding the resignation of Punjab’s chief minister and the state director general of police after anti‑drug activist Parvinder Singh Jhota was shot dead on Oct 13. Jhota, 40, was killed in broad daylight on a road in the Tikoni area of Mansa. A fortnight after his death his last rites remain unperformed, prompting locals to turn the stretch of road into a pucca morcha. Giant hoardings label him a martyr and urge people not to mourn but to keep fighting the drug menace. The crowd includes elderly, youth, women and men who walk past police‑set diversions to stay at the site. Traffic police have rerouted vehicles but the demonstrators show resolve to remain long‑term. Punjab has been grappling with drug addiction for more than twenty years. Political parties see the growing anger as a chance to win votes ahead of the state assembly election scheduled for early 2027. Protesters accuse the government of failing to curb narcotics and demand that the chief minister and DGP step down.

Context

The protest reflects long‑standing frustration over drug abuse in Punjab and comes as parties gear up for the 2027 assembly polls, where law‑and‑order issues often influence voter sentiment.