Bhim Singh, father of slain anti-drug activist Parwinder Singh Jhota, has asked Lok Sabha Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi and members of the family of former Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh not to visit the ongoing protest against his son’s killing in Mansa district of Punjab.
Addressing protesters on Monday, 2nd November, Bhim Singh said he had received indications that Rahul Gandhi might visit the protest after his rally in Sangrur on Wednesday, 4th November. He claimed to have no personal issue with Gandhi but did not want members of the family of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi to visit the protest, citing the Sikh community’s sentiments.
“Rahul, don’t come. The scars of 1984 remain.” Parvinder Jhotta’s family refuses to meet Rahul Gandhi or anyone from the Gandhi family. The anti-drug activist was murdered in broad daylight. His family is now protesting. @Rupamjournalist reports.
— OpIndia.com (@OpIndia_com) November 3, 2026
“I have got the feelers that Rahul Gandhi may want to visit the protest. I have no personal issues with him, but as a devout Sikh, who has immense faith in Sikhism and Harmandar Sahib, I ask the family of late PM Indira Gandhi not to visit the protest. I want to remain in Sikhism and not want to be excommunicated,” Bhim Singh said.
Bhim Singh, father of slain anti-drug activist Parwinder Singh Jhota, has asked Lok Sabha leader of opposition #RahulGandhi and the family of former #Punjab chief minister Beant Singh not to visit the ongoing protest against his son’s killing. Addressing protesters on Monday, Bhim Singh said he had received indications that Rahul Gandhi might visit the protest. For more details 🔗 https://t.co/HIMbQhqGeG Dive deeper into the story with the TOI App 👉 https://t.co/ogFaRsVinV
— The Times Of India (@timesofindia) November 3, 2026
Bhim Singh also asked members of the family of former Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh, including former MPs and ministers, to stay away from the protest. The Mansa district Congress committee had sent feelers expressing the wish for Rahul Gandhi to visit the protest after his 4th November rally in Sangrur.
Bhim Singh objected to 1st November rally date, criticises Mansa MLA
The controversy comes amid criticism of the Opposition parties’ rally at Delhi’s Ramlila Maidan on 1st November. The BJP and other parties had questioned the choice of date, pointing out that it coincided with the anniversary of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. The violence had broken out after the assassination of then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi by her Sikh bodyguards on 31st October, 1984. Bhim Singh also referred to the anger and pain that many in the Sikh community continue to associate with the Gandhi family.
He also accused Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader and Mansa MLA Vijay Singla of focusing on the losses suffered by the business community because of the ongoing protest instead of addressing the protesters’ demands. Bhim Singh announced that the protesters would not hold talks with officials until the cases registered against them were withdrawn and those arrested were released. He also demanded action against the Mansa Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP).
Parwinder Singh Jhota was shot dead during confrontation with medical store owner
Parwinder Singh Jhota was shot dead in broad daylight on Tuesday, 13th October, in Mansa, Punjab, after a confrontation with a medical store owner. The incident took place while Jhota was confronting the shopkeeper over the sale of intoxicating medicines. The confrontation was being broadcast live on Jhota’s Facebook account.
Jhota was known for his campaign against drug abuse and his efforts to expose the illegal sale of addictive medicines through chemist shops. He would visit medical stores, question shopkeepers about suspected sales and record these confrontations before sharing the videos on social media. He had more than 24,000 followers on Facebook.
In his first statement after the killing, Bhim Singh accused the Punjab government and Mansa AAP MLA Vijay Singla of backing those responsible for his son’s death. “Drug addicts killed my son with the backing of the Punjab government and Mansa AAP MLA Vijay Singla,” he had alleged.
Jhota’s earlier confrontations and police cases
Jhota’s anti-drug campaign had also brought him into several controversies. In July 2023, a dispute broke out between him, his supporters and a medical store owner. Following the incident on 12th July, police registered cases against Jhota and some of his associates on allegations including assault, trespassing and rioting. He was arrested later that month and released after around two months.
Despite the police cases and criticism of his confrontational methods, Jhota continued his campaign against the sale of addictive substances through medical stores in Mansa and nearby areas.
