Congress leader Rahul Gandhi launched a pointed attack against Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Wednesday, accusing the state government of failing to address the growing drug crisis. Addressing an ‘Insaaf Rally’ in Sangrur district, Gandhi criticized the AAP’s record on its electoral promise to eliminate the influence of narcotics, including synthetic drugs and ‘chitta’ (adulterated heroin), from the state.
During his address, which marked the launch of the Congress campaign for the assembly elections scheduled for next year, Gandhi recalled his time as a fellow parliamentarian alongside Mann in the Lok Sabha. He alleged that the Chief Minister often arrived at Parliament showing signs of intoxication. “In Lok Sabha, he used to crack jokes sitting with us. At 11 am, he used to smell of alcohol. I am not saying Bhagwant Mann should not consume alcohol; it is his personal matter. But if you want to fight drugs, the chief minister can’t get intoxicated every evening,” Gandhi stated.
The Congress leader questioned the efficacy of the AAP government, challenging the party to identify a single region in Punjab where the drug menace has been successfully eradicated. He suggested that previous warnings he had issued regarding the spread of drugs in the state had been dismissed by political opponents at the time, but insisted that the situation had now reached a critical level that required urgent attention from a leader capable of understanding the impact of addiction.
Beyond the accusations regarding personal conduct and substance abuse, Gandhi claimed that the political and administrative governance of Punjab is effectively being managed from Delhi. He alleged that the current state administration lacks independence, with real power resting in the hands of Union Home Minister Amit Shah and AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal. According to Gandhi, Chief Minister Mann serves as a figurehead, while key decisions are directed by external leadership.
“We will run the government from the soil of Punjab, with neither the home minister nor a former chief minister of Delhi interfering,” Gandhi told the gathering. He urged voters to support the Congress in the upcoming elections, framing the party’s platform as a path toward job creation and a drug-free future for the state.
During the rally, Gandhi also paid tribute to the late singer and Congress leader Sidhu Moosewala, who was killed in the Mansa district on May 29, 2022. Recalling a meeting with the artist, Gandhi spoke of Moosewala’s potential in politics and his impact as a musician. He highlighted the controversy surrounding the removal of the singer's security prior to his death, an event the Congress leader characterized as a failure of governance.
The event concluded with Gandhi challenging Prime Minister Narendra Modi to engage in an open debate regarding allegations that the Congress party is anti-national. The rally serves as a clear indication of the Congress party's strategy to intensify its opposition to the AAP government ahead of the 2027 assembly polls, focusing heavily on issues of state sovereignty, public safety, and the drug crisis.
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