Chandigarh, November 3
Reacting to Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and LoP Sh. Rahul Gandhi’s visit to Punjab, former Punjab BJP President Sunil Jakhar said Congress has been missing as an opposition party for four years and nine months. Now, with elections approaching, its leaders have emerged only to trade in votes and shed crocodile tears for Punjab. Jakhar said drugs, gangsterism and corruption are Punjab’s most pressing issues, yet Congress leaders themselves stand tainted by the same charges.
Jakhar said under the Aam Aadmi Party government, the drug menace and gangster terror have devastated Punjab’s youth, while Congress remained silent for almost the entire term, completely failing in its responsibility as the Opposition. Two of its former state presidents, he alleged, have been linked to drugs — one of whom had even apologised in the Assembly during Parkash Singh Badal’s tenure. Another former Minister was investigated for patronising and harbouring a dreaded gangster during Congress rule. “Can such leaders end the drug menace and rid Punjab of gangsters?” Jakhar asked.
On SIR, Jakhar said Rahul Gandhi held a rally against it in Delhi two days ago, but will now face the reality that Punjab Congress never protested even once during the entire Special Intensive Revision exercise in the state. In fact, Punjab Congress leaders congratulated the Chief Electoral Officer on smooth completion of SIR, taking the wind out of the party’s nationwide campaign against the Election Commission and proving that the central leadership has lost touch with ground realities. Till date, Congress has not brought forward a single case of an eligible voter in Punjab whose name was wrongly deleted.
Jakhar said Congress is using SIR as an excuse for its electoral defeats. Voters did not elect Congress because it does nothing in public interest, and the party alternately blames SIR and EVMs for its losses. If the rally is against corruption, Jakhar asked, why did local Congress leaders remain silent on rampant corruption under the Bhagwant Mann government, despite the Chief Minister repeatedly daring them to look him in the eye and speak? Jakhar alleged they could not accept the challenge because they themselves are implicated — citing bus body fabrication in Rajasthan and recovery of Rs 10 crore cash from the residence of a leading CM contender of Congress.
Jakhar said Rahul Gandhi’s real purpose is to come to Punjab and warn his divided state unit to unite, as he had done in Barnala. But unity without a worthwhile common purpose has no foundation, and Congress finds itself in this situation because it has drifted away from issues that matter to the people.
