Sangrur (Punjab) [India], November 4 : Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday called on party workers to remain united and said that winning Punjab would pave the way for the party's victory across the country, while launching a sharp attack on the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in the state over alleged drug abuse and corruption.
The ‘Insaaf Rally’ marks the launch of the Congress' political campaign in Punjab, with Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi leading the party's outreach in the state ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections.
Addressing the party's ‘Insaaf Rally’ in Sangrur, Kharge said, "Rahul Gandhi gathered lakhs of people at the Ramlila Maidan and raised the issue of 'vote theft.' He invited representatives from all political parties and made it clear to the govt that votes have been stolen, that a govt built on stolen votes is operating everywhere, including the one currently in power in Delhi."
He urged party workers to unite and focus on winning Punjab, saying, "Today, I have come to make a request: if we win Punjab, we will win all of India... Victory must begin here, and to achieve it, we must all stand united."
Targeting the BJP and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), Kharge alleged that they were weakening democratic institutions and stressed the importance of protecting the right to vote.
"The RSS and the BJP are dismantling all the institutions in our nation... Without the right to vote, you are powerless. Bhagwant Mann, who sits here today, holds his position only because the people of Punjab cast their votes. If your vote is taken away, you are left with no rights at all. Without that vote, Bhagwant Mann would not be here, nor would Kejriwal be in a position to extract monthly 'hafta' (extortion money)," he said.
Kharge also criticised the Bhagwant Mann-led Punjab government, alleging that the state was facing serious problems of drug abuse and corruption.
"Beyond the issue of 'stolen' votes, this (state) govt is truly abysmal, which is defined by drug abuse and corruption. It is a govt that destroys the lives of our children and ruins the lives of our farmers... Is this what you call a 'good govt'? Is this why you came to power? You ruined Delhi, and then you moved here, only to leave everything in ruins," he said.
In another attack on the AAP government, the Congress president alleged that public money was being sent from Punjab to Delhi and accused the party of acting as the BJP's "B-team".
"The Punjab government is a government of drugs and corruption. I have not seen such a corrupt government in my 60 years of public life. Money is being sent from here to Delhi. They are the BJP’s B-team. Wherever we are winning, they interfere — in Gujarat and Goa, they have also meddled. Why are you promoting the BJP and the RSS? Such people must be taught a lesson; otherwise, Punjab will be destroyed. You have already ruined Delhi, and now you will come here and ruin everyone else as well," Kharge said.
Earlier, Congress leader and the party's Punjab in-charge Sachin Pilot had described the ‘Insaaf Rally’ as the beginning of a "new ray of hope" for the state while welcoming Kharge and Rahul Gandhi to Punjab.
The rally is being seen as the launch of the Congress' political campaign in the state, with the party seeking to present its roadmap for Punjab ahead of the 2027 Assembly election.