The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday, 16 October sharply attacked the Bhagwant Mann-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Punjab over the killing of two anti-drug activists within two days, demanding that the cases be handed to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the National Investigation Agency (NIA) for a thorough probe. The twin murders have triggered widespread public outrage and placed the ruling dispensation on the defensive over what critics are calling a deteriorating law-and-order crisis in the state.

The Two Murders That Triggered the Outcry

On Friday, 40-year-old Bikramjit Singh, an anti-drug activist, was shot dead in Batala district by allegedly unknown gunmen. A day earlier, on Thursday, noted activist Parvinder Singh Jhota was fatally shot in a crowded marketplace in Mansa after he had publicly confronted a drug peddler. According to BJP leaders, Jhota had repeatedly appealed for police protection prior to his killing, but help did not arrive in time.

BJP's Charges Against the Mann Government

Tarun Chugh, BJP Rajya Sabha MP and the party's Central office in-charge, addressed a press conference hours after Bikramjit Singh's killing and accused the state government of being a 'mute spectator' to daylight murders. He charged that the drug mafia's reach in Punjab had grown to alarming levels, with whistleblowers being silenced through targeted killings. Chugh also cited the case of Gulzar Singh, who had allegedly been harassed after exposing the sale of 'chitta' in his area and was 'compelled to die by suicide', according to the BJP leader.

Chugh stated: 'The state was witnessing a spate of murders, with whistleblowers being shot dead.' He further alleged that grenades were being hurled at police stations, pointing to a broader collapse of public security.

BJP's Critique of 'Yudh Nasheyan Virudh' Campaign

The BJP leader dismissed the Mann government's flagship anti-drug drive, 'Yudh Nasheyan Virudh', as an 'utter failure', and described a recent high-level meeting convened by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann as a 'futile exercise.' 'Nearly five years have passed, and for 55 months the state government did nothing. What can it achieve in the final few weeks now?' Chugh said, suggesting the government was acting only under electoral pressure. He also alleged that the AAP government in Punjab was effectively being directed from Delhi by Arvind Kejriwal and Manish Sisodia.

Broader Pattern and Political Context

The killings come amid a sustained political battle over Punjab's drug menace, which has been a defining campaign issue across multiple election cycles. Critics argue that successive state governments — across party lines — have struggled to dismantle entrenched trafficking networks in the state. This is, notably, not the first time anti-drug workers in Punjab have faced threats or violence, but the rapid back-to-back nature of these two killings has sharpened both the political and public response. The BJP's demand for a CBI-NIA investigation effectively seeks to remove the inquiry from state police jurisdiction, implying a lack of confidence in the state's investigative machinery.

What Happens Next

The AAP government in Punjab has not yet publicly responded to the BJP's specific demand for a CBI-NIA handover, as of the time of reporting. Political pressure is likely to mount in the days ahead, particularly given that Jhota's killing in a public marketplace has drawn significant local attention. Whether the Centre formally refers the cases to the CBI or NIA will depend on a political and legal process that requires the state's cooperation or a court order — a path that BJP leaders have indicated they may pursue.