Punjab’s fight against drugs, rising crime and gang violence became the main focus of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s attack on the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government during a rally in the state on Wednesday. He accused Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann of failing to control the situation and alleged that the state government was being run from Delhi rather than Punjab.
Addressing the Congress’s Insaaf Rally, Rahul Gandhi questioned how the AAP government could claim to be fighting drugs when, according to him, the Chief Minister himself regularly consumed alcohol.
Taking a personal swipe at CM Bhagwant Mann, Rahul Gandhi recalled the time when they were both in Parliament. He claimed that Mann would arrive in the Lok Sabha around 11 am smelling of alcohol and spend his time cracking jokes.
“Which part of Punjab have you freed from drugs?” Rahul Gandhi asked, challenging the AAP government to explain what it had done to tackle the state’s drug problem.
Rahul Gandhi also questioned Bhagwant Mann’s authority as Chief Minister. Calling him a Chief Minister only in name, he alleged that the real control of the Punjab government rested with AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
He claimed that Mann was under the control of both leaders, with half his authority in Kejriwal’s hands and the other half in Amit Shah’s.
The congress leader promised that if his party returned to power in Punjab, the government would be run from the state itself and not from Delhi.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, along with Sachin Pilot, Pargat Singh, Partap Singh Bajwa, Charanjit Singh Channi, Amarinder Singh Raja Warring and Vijay Inder Singla, was also present at the rally. The event marked the beginning of the party’s campaign for the upcoming Punjab elections.
One of the emotional moments of the rally came when Balkaur Singh, father of Punjabi singer Sidhu Moosewala, arrived on stage. Rahul Gandhi hugged him and recalled his first meeting with the singer, whom he described as a talented young man.
Moosewala had joined the Congress shortly before the 2022 Punjab Assembly elections. He was shot dead soon after the AAP government came to power. His security cover had also been withdrawn shortly before his killing, a detail that continues to remain part of the political debate around the case.
The presence of his father brought the issue of law and order back into focus, as Rahul accused the state government of failing to protect people from crime and gang violence.
The Congress leader extended his attack beyond the AAP government and criticised the BJP as well.
He accused Union Home Minister Amit Shah of protecting criminals lodged in jails and questioned the Centre’s claims of taking strong action against drugs and gangsters.
Referring to the large quantity of drugs seized at Adani’s port in Gujarat, Rahul Gandhi said people should not blindly trust claims that the drug problem and gang violence would be brought under control.
The Congress leader also launched a sharp attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the India-US trade agreement. He challenged the Prime Minister to an open debate and accused him of acting under pressure from US President Donald Trump.
Calling PM Modi a “traitor”, Rahul Gandhi alleged that the PM had compromised the interests of Indian farmers and small industries to satisfy the United States.
He further claimed that PM Modi signed the agreement within five minutes without informing his Cabinet or senior government officials.
Rahul said he could prove within five minutes of a debate that the PM was working according to Trump’s wishes.
Towards the end of the rally, Rahul Gandhi warned that Punjab’s future would be at risk if the state failed to protect its farms, industries and factories.
He said that without strong agriculture and industries, the state could face a future dominated by gun violence, drugs and gangster activity.
Kharge also addressed the gathering and led the crowd in raising slogans of “Jai Punjab”. He presented the party’s broad vision for the state, though it was not a formal election manifesto.
The rally brought together Congress leaders around a common political message: Punjab needs to address drugs, crime and unemployment while protecting its agriculture and industries. For people living in the state, these are not just election issues but concerns that affect their safety, livelihoods and future.
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