Mansa, Oct. 20 -- Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday met with the kin of anti-drug activist Parvinder Singh Jhota, who was shot dead on October 13 during a confrontation with a medical store owner over the alleged sale of addictive substances.

Jhota was taken to a hospital with bullet injuries and later succumbed to them. The incident triggered protests, with farmers' and workers' organisations calling for a statewide bandh on October 15.

The Home Minister's visit to Punjab comes amid a political debate over the drug menace in Punjab, with the BJP accusing the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government of failing to tackle the crisis. Shah had alleged that drug traffickers dealing in 'chitta', a term commonly used for sedative and addictive...