MANSA: Amid opposition from the Parwinder Singh Jhota Insaf Morcha to the reported visit of Union Home Minister Amit Shah to Mansa on October 20, Parwinder Singh Jhota’s father, Bhim Singh, has said that any opposition to Amit Shah would be seen as opposition to him and his son. Bhim Singh announced that he would welcome the Union home minister at his residence and urged him not to visit the protest site. He expressed hope that the Union minister could help ensure justice for his family.“I am an ex-serviceman and respect Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. As the Punjab government is not doing much to ensure we get justice, only the central government could act in delivering justice. I will ask the Union home minister to hand over the investigation to the CBI as he has already taken note of the killing of Parwinder Jhota,” Bhim Singh said while speaking to mediapersons in Mansa on Monday.Bhim Singh expressed displeasure over the Insaf Morcha’s decision to oppose Amit Shah if he visits Mansa, saying the committee had not consulted him. He said, “The committee had earlier said that every decision will be taken by keeping me in confidence, but I was not informed about certain decisions. Now, my daughter-in-law, Manpreet Kaur, will participate in the committee’s meetings in my place.”Bhim Singh also said that the Punjab government and Punjab Police had failed to act against the alleged masterminds and conspirators behind his son’s killing. He said he was now pinning his hopes on the central government to ensure that the investigation was handed over to the CBI.Earlier, the action committee-cum-Insaf Morcha had announced that it would oppose Amit Shah’s visit to Mansa. It argued that the BJP-led central government was equally responsible for the growing drug abuse problem in Punjab, citing the extension of the jurisdiction of the Border Security Force (BSF) to 50 km from the international border, which falls under the Centre’s jurisdiction. The morcha also alleged that drugs were entering Punjab from BJP-ruled states, particularly Gujarat, and said it would oppose the Union home minister under these circumstances.Meanwhile, Bhim Singh’s daughter-in-law, Manpreet Kaur, urged people not to misrepresent the family’s statements, saying they were not accustomed to public life and might falter while speaking at times. She appealed to people not to distort facts and to respect the family’s feelings.
