Sangrur:
In a stinging attack on Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, Congress MP Rahul Gandhi has accused him of drinking alcohol and being under its “influence every single evening” while the state grapples with a drug problem.
Gandhi made the remarks as he started campaigning in Punjab ahead of next year’s assembly polls where Congress will face its INDIA bloc ally Aam Aadmi Party. He was taking a jibe at Mann, but was wary of attacking the latter’s “personal matters”.
Addressing the Congress’s ‘Insaaf Rally’ in Sangrur on November 4, the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha recalled his interactions with Mann when he was a Member of Parliament.
“I was in the Lok Sabha with him. He (Mann) used to sit with us and tell jokes, right there, sitting among us. By 11:00 am, you could smell alcohol on his breath,” Gandhi said.
He quickly clarified that he was not questioning the Punjab Chief Minister’s personal choice to consume alcohol but argued that the issue assumed significance when the person holding the highest executive office in Punjab was expected to lead a campaign against substance abuse.
READ | At Punjab Rally, Rahul Gandhi Remembers Sidhu Moosewala, Then Attacks AAP
“Now, I am not saying that Bhagwant Mann shouldn’t drink; that is his personal affair. If he chooses to drink, that is entirely his own business. But if you truly want to fight the menace of substance abuse, your Chief Minister cannot be under the influence every single evening,” he said.
Rahul added that Punjab needed a leader who genuinely understood the suffering caused by drugs and was personally committed to fighting the menace.
“You need someone who will fight for Punjab, someone who genuinely feels the pain caused by drugs, someone who carries the pain of Punjab in his heart,” he said.
The remarks did not sit well with AAP, which described them as a “below-the-belt” attack and unbecoming of such a senior leader.
Reacting to Gandhi’s address, AAP Delhi President Saurabh Bharadwaj said that making such accusations did not serve any purpose. “Allegations of drug use have also been made against Rahul Gandhi. But making accusations doesn’t achieve anything. I feel that at Rahul Gandhi’s level, he really shouldn’t be making such cheap comments,” Bharadwaj said.
“This kind of below-the-belt attack by Rahul Gandhi shows how low his politics has stooped. Whether it’s the Bharatiya Janata Party or Congress, they have nothing to do with the five elections happening in five states. They’ve just made Punjab their joint target,” he added.
READ | Why Rahul Gandhi Chose Sangrur To Launch Congress’s Punjab Campaign
‘Amit Shah Won’t Remain Home Minister After A Year’
AAP was not the only target of Gandhi’s attack on Wednesday as he also targeted Home Minister Amit Shah over his claim that Punjab would be made drug-free within three years.
Taking a dig at Shah’s three-year timeline commitment to eradicate Punjab’s drug issue, Gandhi said, “What timeline did they (Shah) set for the drug issue? Within three years? In three years, Amit Shah won’t even be the Home Minister anymore. My assessment is that this government won’t even last a year.”
Drugs, Gangsters And Sidhu Moosewala’s Murder
Gandhi made drugs and gangsterism the centrepiece of his broader attack on the Bhagwant Mann government and referred to the killing of Punjabi singer Sidhu Moosewala to question the state’s law-and-order situation.
Gandhi brought Moosewala’s father Balkaur Singh Sidhu on stage and said that his son was “murdered in broad daylight in Punjab, gunned down while in his car.”
Moosewala was shot dead in his car on May 29, 2022 in Punjab’s Mansa district.
READ | Analysis: As Punjab’s Politicians Switch Sides, Where Are Its ‘Spartans’?
“The same mindset that led to Sidhu Moose Wala being shot dead in public, without any fear, is now spreading to every corner of Punjab,” Gandhi claimed.
‘Punjab Government Will Not Be Run From Delhi’
Pitching to bring Congress back in power in Punjab, Gandhi promised if that happens, the state will not be run from Delhi and Punjab’s Chief Minister will independently take decisions for the state.
Taking a swipe at AAP’s national leadership, Rahul alleged that the reins of the Punjab government were currently divided between Home Minister Amit Shah and AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal.
He maintained that Punjab needed a government accountable to its people rather than one controlled by political leadership outside the state.
The remark aimed at turning AAP’s Delhi-centric leadership structure into a political issue ahead of the assembly polls.
Rahul Gandhi’s ‘Debate’ Challenge To PM Modi
The Leader of Opposition, during his address, challenged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to an open debate on farmers’ interests, industrial growth, the economy and the trade agreement between India and the United States.
Alleging that US President Donald Trump was exerting influence over PM Modi, Gandhi claimed that the interests of Indian farmers and industries were not adequately protected during trade negotiations.
He said he was ready to debate the Prime Minister at any place of his choice and accused the BJP-led government of ignoring the interests of farmers and small industries.
M Kharge Calls AAP BJP’s B-team
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge also launched a sharp attack on the AAP government, accusing it of failing to fulfil its promises on drugs and corruption.
Kharge alleged that corruption had become rampant in Punjab and claimed that money collected through alleged irregularities in different government departments was reaching the AAP leadership in Delhi.
Describing AAP as the BJP’s B-team, Kharge said the people of Punjab had voted for change with high expectations, but the government had failed to deliver on its promises.
Why Congress Chose Sangrur To Launch Punjab’s Campaign
Congress’s choice of Sangrur for launching its electoral campaign is rooted in electoral arithmetic of Punjab. The district is closely associated with Bhagwant Mann, who represented it in the Lok Sabha constituency before becoming Punjab Chief Minister.
By organising a major rally here, Congress attempted to challenge AAP on its political home turf and send a message that it was preparing for a direct electoral contest in 2027.
The rally also comes as Sangrur has emerged as a focal point of protests against the drug menace and allegations of police excesses. The Congress is seeking to use these concerns to build its campaign against the ruling party.
The Malwa region, which accounts for 69 of Punjab’s 117 assembly constituencies, is particularly important to the Congress’s electoral strategy. With the largest share of assembly seats concentrated in this region, its political support is crucial for any party seeking to form the government.
Punjab Congress leaders, including former state party president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring, MP Gurjeet Singh Aujla and former Cabinet minister Dr Raj Kumar Verka, were part of the rally.
Congress’ Double-Edged Political Tool
Congress’ Sangrur rally was the party’s attempt to make the drug menace a political tool to attck both the state and Central governments.
Rahul Gandhi’s personal attack on Mann was accompanied by his challenge to Amit Shah over the Centre’s three-year deadline to make Punjab drug-free. This allowed Congress to question the AAP government’s performance while also demanding accountability from the BJP-led Centre.
The party also attempted to connect the drug issue with unemployment, industrial decline, gangsterism and the future of Punjab’s youth, presenting these as interconnected governance challenges.
However, the Congress will have to convert the enthusiasm witnessed at the rally into sustained grassroots mobilisation while maintaining unity within its state leadership.
For AAP, the rally came as a direct political challenge from its Opposition bloc ally in Sangrur, a constituency closely associated with the Chief Minister.
With personal attacks on Bhagwant Mann, a pointed challenge to Amit Shah and a promise that Punjab will not be governed from Delhi under a Congress government, Rahul Gandhi set the tone for the party’s ‘Mission 2027’ in Sangrur.
