India

Villager's Death After Questioning Punjab Minister on Drugs Sparks Opposition Uproar

By PTI

Punjab's ongoing struggle with drug abuse returned to the political forefront on Tuesday, September 8, 2026, after opposition parties accused the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government of negligence following the death of a villager who had publicly questioned a senior minister about the availability of narcotics in his area.

Gulzar Singh, a 47-year-old daily wage worker from Dirba village in Sangrur district, died on the night of Monday, September 7. According to his family, the incident followed a public event in Dirba on September 6, where Gulzar Singh confronted Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema about the continued supply of 'chitta,' a term used for synthetic drugs, in the region.

His nephew, Karanvir Singh, said that after posing the question, Gulzar Singh was taken outside the event venue by local villagers, who allegedly pressured him to apologize. Following this, he consumed poison. "We want justice," Karanvir Singh said.

A video purportedly showing Gulzar Singh's final moments circulated widely on social media, intensifying political backlash against Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann's government. In the recording, Gulzar Singh is heard saying that the local sarpanch would be responsible for his death, adding, "I had questioned about chitta. My son takes it. Everything is sold... Chitta band nahi hoya (the supply of chitta has not stopped)."

Shiromani Akali Dal leader Bikram Singh Majithia condemned the incident, stating that Gulzar Singh had only asked a question about drug addiction affecting his son and was allegedly driven to such despair that he consumed a pesticide identified as Celphos. "He was allegedly pushed to the point of taking his own life," Majithia said, demanding justice for the victim.

Punjab Congress president Amrinder Singh Raja Warring also expressed grief over the incident. In a post on social media platform X, Warring said a father who had watched his family suffer due to his son's drug addiction had raised his voice and questioned Minister Cheema, only to face what Warring described as immense harassment and pressure afterward.

According to reports, Gulzar Singh was first taken to the Civil Hospital in Sangrur, then transferred to Rajindra Hospital in Patiala, before being brought back to a hospital in Sangrur. He was later shifted to a private hospital in Ludhiana, where he died on the night of September 7.

The opposition has called for a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding his death, holding the state government accountable for what they describe as a failure to control the drug problem in Punjab.