Sangrur, November 4: Congress leader and Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday raised the murder of Punjabi singer Sidhu Moosewala at the party’s ‘Insaaf Rally’ in Sangrur. Inviting the singer’s father, Balkaur Singh Sidhu, onto the stage, Gandhi said the mindset behind Moosewala’s killing was spreading across Punjab.
Recalling his first meeting with Moosewala, Gandhi said he did not know who the singer was at the time. He was told that Moosewala was a good young man, a musician who wanted to join the Congress. Gandhi said he later listened to Moosewala’s songs and was impressed by him.
Describing the singer as dynamic and talented, Gandhi said he had felt the need to offer him political protection when he joined the party. He alleged that Moosewala subsequently began receiving threats and that his security was withdrawn. Gandhi said the singer was later shot dead in broad daylight while sitting in his car in Punjab.
Gandhi alleged that the mindset responsible for Moosewala’s killing had now spread to different parts of the state. He claimed that talented young people who wanted to progress through their own efforts and work for Punjab and the country were being threatened, intimidated and shot dead.
The Congress leader also targeted the Aam Aadmi Party government over the drug problem in Punjab. Questioning its promise to eradicate drugs, Gandhi asked where in the state the menace had actually been eliminated. He said Punjab needed industries, factories and a thriving agricultural sector, warning that the absence of these opportunities could lead to an increase in drug abuse and gangsterism.
The ‘Insaaf Rally’ was held in Sangrur on November 4 as the Congress launched its campaign ahead of the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge also attended the rally.
