Kickstarting the Congress poll campaign from chief minister Bhagwant Mann’s home turf, Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday launched an-all-out attack on the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Punjab over drugs, gangster violence, and farmers’ issues.
“People need a government that works for Punjab—not like AAP, which is run from Delhi,” said the leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha while addressing the party’s Insaaf Rally at Phaguwala village in Sangrur district. The assembly elections are due in Punjab early next year.
Rahul also reiterated his challenge to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for an open debate on the latter’s charge that Congress is anti-national. “Come anywhere, sit with me and debate,” he said.
Drug menace and law and order
Making the drug menace a central plank of his attack, Rahul recalled he had raised the issue years ago only to be dismissed by the BJP and the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD). “Many years back, I said that drugs are spreading in Punjab. At that time, the BJP and the Akali Dal claimed Rahul Gandhi knew nothing about Punjab,” he said.
“Now, every other day there is a drug-related crime, and the Punjab government is unable to control the menace. The AAP formed the government after people placed their trust in the party and Bhagwant Mann. What promise did it make? That it will end the drug menace in Punjab. I want to ask the AAP, from which corner of the state has it wiped out drugs?” Rahul said.
{{/usCountry}}“Now, every other day there is a drug-related crime, and the Punjab government is unable to control the menace. The AAP formed the government after people placed their trust in the party and Bhagwant Mann. What promise did it make? That it will end the drug menace in Punjab. I want to ask the AAP, from which corner of the state has it wiped out drugs?” Rahul said.
{{/usCountry}}Rahul also took a dig at Union home minister Amit Shah’s commitment of eradicating drugs from the country by December 2029.
“Amit Shah is promising to end it (drug menace) by next three years. He is lying as he won’t be home minister by then. My assessment is the BJP government will not even last a year”, he said. Rahul said Shah has no right to talk about drugs and law and order. “The whole country knows that Amit Shah has raised his own gangsters in jails. So he better not talks about drugs, or law and order,” he said.
AAP betrayed farmers: Rahul Gandhi
The Congress leader also said that people deserve a government that works for Punjab. Rahul alleged that AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal was pulling the strings from Delhi, leaving Mann unable to take independent decisions. “We will run the government from the soil of Punjab, with neither the home minister nor a former chief minister of Delhi interfering,” Rahul said, urging the crowd to vote for Congress for jobs and a drugs-free Punjab.
Rahul also accused the AAP of betraying farmers and hurting the state’s agricultural economy. He stressed that both agriculture and industry are vital to Punjab’s future and called for policies aimed at generating employment and strengthening the state’s economic base.
Sidhu Moose Wala’s killing and security concerns
He also invoked the killing of Punjabi singer Sidhu Moose Wala, bringing his father, Balkaur Singh, onto the stage during the rally. Recalling his first meeting with Moose Wala, Gandhi said he was impressed by his talent, though concerned about the risks of his entry into politics.
He accused the AAP government of failing to protect Moose Wala after reducing his security cover and questioned the lack of accountability. Gandhi said the mindset behind the singer’s murder was now “roaming every corner of Punjab,” linking the case to an alleged breakdown in law and order.
‘Oppn denied fair hearing in Parliament’
Training his guns at the BJP-led Union government, Rahul alleged that opposition leaders were being denied a fair hearing in Parliament. “They say have a discussion in Parliament, but you switch off my mic; you don’t let me speak in Parliament,” he claimed.
On Tuesday, Shah said the government is willing to convene a special session of Parliament to hold discussions on the special intensive revision (SIR) exercise, daring the Opposition to join the argue.
Mallikarjun Kharge criticises AAP
Targeting the AAP government over drug issue, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said: “Is this your good governance? Did people of Punjab choose you for this? Earlier you destroyed Delhi and now you have destroyed Punjab”.
Arguing that the AAP was the B-team of the BJP, the Congress president said, wherever the Congress stood good chances of a victory, like in the states of Gujarat and Goa, the AAP jumped in to divide the anti-BJP vote and help the BJP win.
Congress’ Punjab in-charge Sachin Pilot, state Congress chief Pargat Singh, and senior state leaders Partap Bajwa, Vijay Inder Singla, Charanjit Singh Channi, Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, Rajinder Kaur Bhattal and Amrinder Singh Raja Warring were present at the rally