On Friday, the Union Home Ministry announced it would formally seek an explanation from the Punjab government regarding two incidents: the death by poisoning of a father in Dirba under reported duress, and the killing of anti-drug activist Parvinder Singh Jhota in Mansa during daylight hours.

In a post on X, Home Minister Amit Shah described Punjab as facing pressures from drug networks, gang activity, and organised criminal operations. Addressing Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, Shah raised the question of who bears responsibility for the safety of Punjab's people, pointing to the two incidents as grounds for examining the state's law and order conditions.

A man who ran a medical shop in Mansa opened fire on Jhota, a person known locally for campaigning against drug use, fatally wounding him at a crowded marketplace on Tuesday. Ashwani Kumar, who operated the shop, discharged a firearm at Jhota during a questioning over allegations that he had supplied habit-forming substances to an older customer, and police placed him under arrest in the aftermath. Jhota's father has directed accusations at the Aam Aadmi Party administration and the party's local legislator.

Gulzar Singh, a resident of Dirba in Sangrur, took his own life on September 7, and Shah identified that death as the opening case in the series of incidents under discussion. Relatives of Gulzar have stated that he took poison following a period during which he reportedly faced harassment and caste-based abuse tied to his act of raising concerns with Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema over drug availability in his neighbourhood.

Formal responses from the Punjab government on both matters are expected to be requested by the Home Ministry.

In his post on X, Shah called on Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann to move beyond public messaging and deliver concrete action, stating that Punjab's residents were seeking accountability on drug networks, the safety of anti-drug voices, the growth of organised crime, and transparency over any political connections that criminals may have benefited from. Shah added that, should his party form the next government in Punjab, it would pursue a state free of drugs, gangs, and insecurity. The home minister outlined four policy priorities: targeting the narcotics trade, safeguarding the prospects of younger generations, pursuing firm measures against those who break the law, and upholding a legal order under which no resident would have to live in fear.

In response to Shah's social media post, Mann drew attention to a narcotics haul intercepted at a Gujarat port and called on the home minister to focus on the responsibilities of his own office. In a Punjabi-language post on X, Mann addressed Shah directly, suggesting that Shah ought to have sought counsel from his advisors before making public remarks. Mann stated that accountability for one's own responsibilities ought to come before directing criticism at him. Roughly 3,000 kilograms of synthetic drugs — locally referred to as "chitta" — were intercepted at Kandla port in Gujarat, a facility that falls within the Border Security Force's operational range of 50 kilometres.

With assembly elections in Punjab drawing near, multiple parties — the BJP among them — have turned their attention to narcotics as a campaign talking point. At a BJP rally held in Jalandhar the previous month to mark the conclusion of the party's "Nasha Mukt Punjab Yatra" campaign, Shah stated that the AAP-led state government had permitted open trading in chitta, and put forward a pledge that a BJP government, if brought to power, would render Punjab free of drugs by December 2029.

On 30 September, during a Jalandhar visit, Shah held conversations with households whose lives had been affected by substance-related problems. The home minister stated that anyone involved in narcotics trafficking would face prosecution and imprisonment, adding that replacing the current AAP administration would, within a two-year period, allow authorities to bring the drug trade under control.