Jathedar Giani Kuldeep Singh Gargajj meets Parvinder Singh Jhota’s family, offers condolences
Giani Kuldip Singh Gargajj meets family in Mansa, condemns attempts to portray killing as personal enmity
Babushahi Bureau
Amritsar/Mansa (Punjab), October 16, 2026: Giani Kuldeep Singh Gargajj, Jathedar of Sri Akal Takht Sahib, has described anti-drug activist Parvinder Singh ‘Jhota’ as a martyr of the Sikh community, saying he sacrificed his life while fighting against the drug menace in Punjab.
Giani Gargajj, accompanied by Giani Tek Singh, Jathedar of Takht Sri Damdama Sahib, visited Jhota’s family in Mansa on Thursday to express condolences following his killing. He offered an ardas (Sikh prayer) for the departed soul and prayed for the success of the family’s struggle for justice.
Addressing the gathering, the Akal Takht Jathedar said Punjab’s youth were falling victim to drug overdoses, while those raising their voices against drugs were also being killed. He said Jhota had chosen to fight the drug menace despite having other options in life.
He prayed for strength and success for the campaign initiated by Jhota and urged people from all communities, including Hindus, Sikhs and Muslims, to unite against drugs and protect Punjab’s youth. He also met Jhota’s two sons, embraced them and encouraged them to remain strong.
Giani Gargajj appealed to the Sikh Panth and people across Punjab to extend support to the bereaved family. He said Sri Akal Takht Sahib would support the programmes announced by the committee formed to pursue justice in the case.
The Jathedar questioned the police administration’s registration of multiple cases against Jhota and alleged that a drug trafficker had shot him in broad daylight. He also criticised a Punjab minister’s reported description of the killing as a case of personal enmity, accusing the government of undermining Jhota’s anti-drug struggle by portraying the incident as a personal dispute.
“A person’s body can be destroyed, but not their ideology,” he said, warning that people in Punjab would oppose attempts to target those campaigning against drugs.
Giani Gargajj also cautioned against attempts to portray the incident as a Hindu-Sikh conflict. He said the fight against drugs was a common cause for all communities and urged the government to identify and act against those attempting to create communal tension. Referring to Wednesday’s Punjab bandh, he said the response had demonstrated unity among people from different communities against the drug menace.
Stressing that drugs must be eradicated from their roots, the Jathedar said the government bore the responsibility for tackling the problem.
He further announced that the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) would cover the medical expenses of all those injured in the incident. SGPC president Advocate Harjinder Singh Dhami would visit the area soon to oversee the necessary arrangements, he added.
Bathinda MP and Shiromani Akali Dal leader Harsimrat Kaur Badal, SGPC member Gurpreet Singh Jhabbar, and Akali leaders Tejinder Singh Middukhera and Parambans Singh Romana were among those present during the visit.