Rahul Gandhi Accuses Punjab AAP Government of ‘Threats and Torture’, Seeks Finance Minister’s Resignation

NEW DELHI, SEPTEMBER 9: Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday launched a sharp attack on the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Punjab, alleging that people who question the government’s alleged failures are being subjected to threats, humiliation and torture.

In a post on X, Gandhi alleged that a “dangerous pattern” had emerged in Punjab, where citizens seeking answers from the government were being targeted instead of being heard.

Gandhi referred to the case of Gulzar Singh, a member of the Dalit community whose son was reportedly battling drug addiction. He alleged that Singh had questioned Punjab Finance Minister over the government’s alleged failure to curb the drug trade and was subsequently subjected to harassment and pressure to apologise.

According to Gandhi, Singh later consumed poison following the alleged harassment and pressure. He further claimed that Singh was shifted from one hospital to another but eventually died amid an alleged lack of adequate treatment.

“A dangerous pattern is emerging in Punjab’s AAP government — if you question government failure, the response is threats and torture,” Gandhi said.

He alleged that Singh had merely sought an explanation from the Finance Minister over why the government had failed to effectively curb the drug trade after witnessing his own son fall victim to addiction.

Gandhi also referred to his interaction last week with Mohanjeet Singh, a young man whom he alleged was harassed for protesting against Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann.

“Government’s job is to answer the people, not crush those who ask questions,” Gandhi said, demanding justice for Gulzar Singh’s family.

The Congress leader urged Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann to immediately seek the resignation of the state Finance Minister and order an independent and impartial probe into the circumstances surrounding Singh’s death. He also demanded that the Finance Minister be named in the FIR as part of the investigation.

The allegations come amid an intense political debate in Punjab over the state government’s handling of drug trafficking and addiction. The AAP government has repeatedly projected its anti-drug campaign as a major priority, while opposition parties have questioned the effectiveness of measures to curb the availability and trafficking of narcotics.

Gandhi’s allegations are likely to further intensify the political contest between the Congress and AAP in Punjab, with the Opposition increasingly focusing on issues of government accountability and the alleged treatment of people raising grievances.

The allegations concerning Gulzar Singh’s alleged harassment, consumption of poison and subsequent death have not been independently established. The circumstances surrounding the case will need to be determined through a fair and impartial investigation.