Chandigarh (Gurpreet Singh): The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Wednesday criticised Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over his rally in Sangrur, accusing him of failing to present a roadmap for Punjab’s future and ignoring the alleged assault on a senior Dalit Congress leader.
AAP Punjab president Aman Arora said Gandhi focused on attacking Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann and the state government but did not address Punjab’s development priorities or the allegations involving Ranjit Singh Tarkhan Majra.
The controversy concerns an alleged assault on Tarkhan Majra inside Congress Bhawan in Chandigarh. AAP has accused former Punjab Youth Congress president Barinder Singh Dhillon of assaulting and using casteist remarks against the senior Congress leader. These allegations have not been independently established in the statement issued by AAP.
Aman Arora Questions Rahul Gandhi’s Silence On Dalit Leader’s Allegations
Arora said Gandhi’s silence on the incident was particularly significant because he had addressed an ‘Insaaf Rally’ in Punjab.
He questioned how the Congress leader could speak about justice without addressing the complaint of a senior Dalit leader from his own party.
“If a senior Dalit leader can face such treatment inside the Congress party’s own headquarters, it raises serious questions about the party’s attitude towards Dalit dignity,” Arora said, according to the AAP statement.
The party also demanded answers from former Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi and the Congress leadership over the allegations against Dhillon, whom AAP described as close to Channi.
AAP Says Congress Failed To Present Punjab Roadmap
AAP also questioned the substance of Gandhi’s Sangrur address, claiming that he offered no concrete proposals on the state’s development priorities or the challenges facing its people.
Arora asked what Punjab would gain from political attacks on Mann and the AAP government, arguing that criticism alone would not resolve the state’s problems.
The party said voters expected political organisations to outline their plans for employment, development and public welfare rather than rely on attacks against opponents.
AAP Attacks Congress Over Political Standing In Punjab
In its statement, AAP described Congress as a fragmented organisation that had suffered repeated electoral setbacks and struggled to present itself as a credible alternative in Punjab.
The party contrasted this with its own governance record, claiming that the Mann government had fulfilled its five guarantees and continued working on its commitments to the people.
AAP maintained that the Sangrur rally failed to address two issues it considered central to Punjab’s political debate: a clear development agenda for the state and accountability over the alleged mistreatment of Tarkhan Majra.
The Congress and the leaders named in the allegations should be given an opportunity to respond to the claims.
