Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi launched a sharp attack on Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) over the state’s drug menace, alleging that the Chief Minister himself was not in a position to lead the fight against substance abuse.
Addressing the ‘Insaaf Rally’ in Punjab’s Sangrur, Rahul Gandhi questioned the AAP government’s claim of eradicating drugs from the state, pointing out that eliminating drug abuse was among the party’s key promises before coming to power.
“The Aam Aadmi Party came to power, and you placed your trust in it. Punjab trusted Bhagwant Mann and the Aam Aadmi Party. What was their promise? That they would eradicate drug abuse. I want to ask you… Where have they eradicated drugs? From which part of Punjab have they managed to eliminate the drug menace? They cannot eradicate drugs,” Gandhi said.
In a further escalation of his attack, the Congress leader made a personal allegation against Mann, recalling his interactions with the Punjab Chief Minister during their time in Parliament.
“When I was in the Lok Sabha, he would sit with us early in the morning and crack jokes. However, by 11 am, his breath would smell of alcohol,” Rahul Gandhi alleged.
Clarifying that he was not commenting on Mann’s personal choices, the Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition said, “I am not saying that Bhagwant Mann should not consume alcohol. That is his personal matter. If he wants to drink, it is his personal choice. But if you want to fight drug abuse, your Chief Minister cannot be under the influence of intoxicants every evening.”
Despite being allies in the broader INDIA bloc, the two parties have frequently found themselves on opposing sides in Punjab, where the Congress remains a key political rival of the ruling AAP. Rahul Gandhi’s remarks underline the continuing political tensions between the alliance partners, with the Congress seeking to corner the Mann government over its handling of the drug crisis in the state.