A man with long-standing family ties to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) was shot dead in Firozpur on Sunday evening, sparking anger among residents and strong political reactions. The victim, 40-year-old Naveen Arora, was the grandson of former RSS city chief Dina Nath and had himself been associated with the organisation along with his father.

According to the police, Arora had closed his shop and was heading home when two unidentified men intercepted him near Budhwara Wala Mohalla and opened fire. He collapsed at the spot and died before help could arrive. Moments earlier, he had been sitting with his family. His father, Baldev, described the shock, “Naveen Arora is my son and we were all sitting and talking. He goes out and comes back to be with his kids every day. Just five minutes after he left, a couple of boys came and informed us that someone shot my son.”

CCTV Shows Killers Fleeing the Spot

Investigators are relying heavily on CCTV footage that captured two men running from the scene after the gunfire. SSP Firozpur Bhupinder Singh Sidhu said multiple teams were already working on leads, stating, “Naveen was on his way home when two unidentified individuals shot him. Our team is investigating and we are also scanning CCTV footage.”

Local traders and Arora’s relatives reached the area soon after the shooting, demanding immediate arrests. The head of the local trade association, Ashwini Mehta, said Arora was killed while walking from his shop toward his home.

Political leaders reacted strongly. BJP leader Sukhminderpal Singh Grewal condemned the shooting in harsh words, saying, “I strongly condemn the cowardly, gutter-born criminals who dared to unleash bullets in broad daylight in Ferozepur’s Mochi Bazaar, murdering Naveen Arora, son of senior RSS leader Baldev Raj Arora.” He added that the attackers had “sprayed bullets at a hardworking shopkeeper heading home”, and demanded concrete action, declaring, “Enough of hollow assurances. Show results.”

Punjab “Feels Unsafe”, Says BJP MP After Firozpur Murder

BJP MP Ravneet Singh Bittu called the killing an event that had “shaken the entire state,” stressing that the attack inside the locality of a “senior RSS volunteer and respected social worker Baldev Raj Arora” showed a sharp rise in criminal boldness. He said people across Punjab “feel increasingly unsafe” and accused the government of failing to maintain order.

Punjab BJP president Sunil Jakhar also criticised the ruling AAP government, describing the killing as a sign that “gangsters are effectively running the government” and claiming the Chief Minister had “left Punjab abandoned.”

Senior police officers, including MLA Ranbir Singh Bhullar, visited the site and met the family. They assured them that the shooters would be caught soon.