Even as Punjabi singers and actors have so far remained silent over the killing of anti-drug activist Parvinder Singh Jhota in Mansa on Tuesday, renowned devotional singer Kanhiya Mittal has come forward to raise his voice against Punjab’s drug menace.In a 12.2-minute video posted on Facebook, Mittal, speaking mostly in Punjabi, expressed anguish over the killing, questioned the response of the administration and police, and demanded a CBI probe. He also appealed to Mansa shopkeepers to shut their businesses until justice was delivered. He stressed that the fight against drugs could not be left to the government alone. “Jhote di maut nu jaaya na jaan deyo” (Do not let Jhota’s death go in vain), he appealed, urging people to carry forward the activist’s fight against drugs. Expressing concern over the killing, Mittal said Mansa had not forgotten the killing of Punjabi singer Shubhdeep Singh Sidhu Moosewala. He also questioned the safety of those who raised their voices against drugs. “Who will worry about Punjab?” he asked, expressing anguish over Jhota’s death and praising the courage of those opposing drugs. Mittal alleged that the police took nearly half an hour to reach the spot and said the administration had also failed. Appealing to traders, particularly members of the Aggarwal community, to unite against drugs and stand in solidarity with Jhota’s family, he urged people to use social media constructively by forming groups and sharing information about places where drugs were allegedly being sold. “Don’t make it a community issue,” he said, noting that Hindus and Sikhs lived in the area. He described Jhota as a revolutionary who had given meaning to his life by fighting against drugs. Criticising the government’s anti-drug campaign “Yudh Nashian Virudh”, Mittal said people could not rely solely on the government and police.