Why did the death of a villager from Punjab spark a political uproar across the state?

Punjab Cabinet Minister Harpal Singh Cheema seen in Dirba constituency, Sangrur. File image: @AAPPunjab

Story so far: On the night of September 7, 2026, 47-year-old Gulzar Singh of Toor Banjara village in Sangrur district of Punjab died by suicide. He reportedly took the extreme step after local Aam Aadmi Party supporters pressured him to apologize for questioning Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema over the drug menace in his village during an event in Dirba on September 6.

Singh’s family members alleged that he was harassed and subjected to casteist abuse after he asked the finance minister at an event in Dirba about the supply of drugs in his village and surrounding areas, citing his son’s addiction. A video later surfaced purportedly showing Mr Singh’s final moments, in which he talks about the confrontation with the finance minister. The family also alleged that the cremation was carried out forcibly by the administration without their consent.

The police have registered a case under Section 108 (Aiding suicide) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita Act and Section 3(1)(a). r) and Section 3(1) of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and arrested five people under Section 108 (Aiding suicide) Bharatiya Nayayaya of Bharatiya. The police has sent a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate the death. Subsequently, an FIR was registered against five villagers, including Baljit Singh, Sukhdev Singh, Vicky Singh, Gona Singh and Baljinder Kaur.

National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC) chairman Kishor Makwana, who met the family of the deceased, noted that Singh had spoken out against the drug menace, which he said was destroying the lives of many young people in the area. He sought a detailed report on Singh’s death from the chief secretary and director general of police.

The Punjab and Haryana High Court has also asked the Punjab government to submit a status report on the investigation into Singh’s death in connection with a public interest litigation (PIL) seeking a CBI probe into the matter. The next hearing in the case was set for October 6.

What caused the uproar

The revelation in a purported video of Singh talking about his confrontation with the finance minister shortly before his death sparked a huge uproar as major political parties cornered the ruling AAP government demanding Mr Cheema’s removal from the Cabinet and an independent inquiry into the death.

Members of the Congress party staged a demonstration in Chandigarh against the Finance Minister and demanded his resignation. General Secretary for Punjab Affairs, Sachin Pilot, noted that while the party has nothing personal against Mr. Cheema, he asked “doesn’t the law require registration of an FIR followed by a detailed investigation when a person has mentioned a minister’s name in his death declaration?”

The BJP has demanded a CBI probe into the matter, even as its state president Kewal Singh Dhillon said Singh’s death exposed the AAP government’s “hollow” claims of eradicating drugs from Punjab. Hitting out at AAP over the issue, the Shiromani Akali Dal has announced a protest demonstration in Dirba on September 18 for “justice for the family of late Gulzar Singh”.

What AAP minister says

Breaking his silence on the issue, Mr Cheema accused opposition parties of playing politics over “dead bodies”. Claiming that he has nothing to do with the matter, and given that the matter is currently pending in court, he will refrain from commenting at length.

“The opposition is making politics about dead bodies and I have nothing to do with it. The case is currently in court, so I will not comment on it at length. The family’s original statement is already public knowledge. People have seen it and know the facts surrounding the matter,” he said recently.

What lies ahead

As Punjab heads into assembly elections due in early 2027, mainstream political parties including Congress, SAD and BJP are aggressively taking up the issue. Nearly 32% of Punjab’s population belongs to the Scheduled Caste community, the highest in the country, and no political party wants to risk alienating this important electorate whose support could prove decisive in a hotly contested election. According to academic estimates, Dalit voters in Punjab have high to medium electoral influence in at least 55 assembly constituencies out of the total 117 assembly constituencies, making their consolidation a major factor capable of influencing the outcome in a substantial number of seats.

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Published – 18 Sep 2026 11:40 AM IST