Addressing the 'Insaaf Rally' held in Sangrur, Punjab, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha and Congress Member of Parliament Rahul Gandhi launched a strong political offensive against both the central government and the ruling Aam Aadmi Party in Punjab. Speaking to the gathering, he focused on the state's administrative setup and governance challenges, characterizing the current administration in Punjab as a remote-controlled regime and directly questioning the independence of the state's leadership.
Rebuttal to the Three-Year Anti-Drug Timeline
Union Home Minister Amit Shah had earlier outlined a three-year deadline to eradicate the drug menace from Punjab. Seizing upon this pledge, the Congress parliamentarian expressed skepticism about the longevity of the current administration at the Centre. Addressing the rally, Rahul Gandhi remarked,
"Union Home Minister Amit Shah has set a three-year deadline to eliminate the drug problem in Punjab. But the reality is that in three years, Amit Shah will not even remain Home Minister. I believe this central government will not last even a single year. In such a scenario, they are claiming to end drug abuse in three years."
He emphasized that proposing a three-year roadmap appears detached from reality when the central dispensation faces instability and may not endure even for a full year.
Scrutiny Over Administrative Control in Punjab
Examining the prevailing political climate in Punjab, the Congress leader stressed that the state urgently requires an administration completely dedicated to the welfare of Punjab and its residents. He explicitly criticized Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann's governing approach, arguing that executive authority has effectively drifted toward Delhi.
Rahul Gandhi contended that governance in Punjab is presently divided, with one half overseen by Union Home Minister Amit Shah and the other half managed by former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, leaving Bhagwant Mann merely occupying the chief ministerial chair. According to him, genuine autonomy in state policy decisions has been compromised by external interference.
Commitment to Decentralized Governance Under Congress
Reassuring the crowd at the Sangrur gathering, Rahul Gandhi stated that the administrative framework would undergo fundamental reform if Congress returned to power in the state. He pledged that future governmental policies would be formulated directly within Punjab rather than being handed down from Delhi.
The Congress leader underlined that under a Congress administration, the Chief Minister of Punjab would function as an authentic local leader. He committed that his party would run the government entirely from within the state, operating free from the directives or influence of the Union Home Minister or any former Chief Minister of Delhi.
