Rahul Gandhi meets Sidhu Moose Wala’s family in his native village
Moose Wala was shot dead in the Mansa district of Punjab. The murder had prompted attacks on the Bhagwant Mann government.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi met Punjab singer-politician Sidhu Moose Wala’s family in their native village on Tuesday. He had reached Chandigarh just hours before, and left for the Mansa district with Punjab Congress chief Amarinder Singh Warring and Partap Singh Bajwa, the leader of the opposition in the state assembly.
This is the first time that Gandhi met the grieving family at their ancestral home more than a week after the 28-year-old rapper died. He had a huge following not just in India but Canada too.
Gandhi’s visit to Punjab comes just hours after a Congress leader and former Punjab minister - Sadhu Singh Dharamsot - was arrested in a corruption case. Chief minister Bhagwant Mann had issued a warning about a month ago over action against him while the Aam Aadmi Party had been attacking the leader earlier too.
Moose Wala's killing - which took place a day after his security was downgraded - had led to attacks from the Congress on the Punjab government. The Congress has been slamming Mann over the move - labeled as an action against the "VIP culture" - and seeking an investigation by the central probe agency. Mann visited the Moose Wala family last week amid opposition attacks.
Moose Wala’s family has been raising the same demand. His father, Balkaur Singh, met union minister Amit Shah last Saturday.
Earlier on Tuesday, Sanjay Dutt had also met the family at their home.
Moose Wala had joined the Congress just months before the state elections in Punjab. He fought from Mansa but lost to AAP's Vijay Singla who was recently removed as the state's health minister.
The probe in the Moose Wala murder case is one of the toughest challenges for the Bhagwant Mann government since it was formed in March.