Chandigarh, Oct. 20 -- Union home minister Amit Shah will arrive in Punjab on Tuesday amid escalating political tensions over the state's narcotics crisis, triggered by the broad daylight murder of anti-drug activist Parvinder Singh Jhota in Mansa.

"Shah will meet the family members of persons who lost lives raising their voice against drugs in Gurdaspur, Mansa and Sangrur, and then head to Ludhiana to burn a 'chitta' (heroin) effigy along with Ravana to mark Dussehra," said Punjab BJP chief Kewal Singh Dhillon.

This will be Shah's third visit to poll-bound Punjab since March, and second in 20 days. The BJP has made drugs a core issue in its campaign for the high-stakes assembly due early next year.

On September 30, Shah had addressed ...