Sangrur (Punjab) [India], November 4 (ANI): Sidhu Moosewala’s father, Balkaur Singh Sidhu, on Wednesday thanked Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for standing by his family following the Punjabi singer’s murder, saying the Lok Sabha Leader of the Opposition continues to enquire about the progress of the investigation and share their grief.
Speaking on the sidelines of the Congress party’s ‘Insaaf Rally’ in Sangrur, Balkaur Singh said Rahul Gandhi made time to meet him despite his busy schedule and expressed gratitude for the gesture.
“Whenever they (Rahul Gandhi) visit us, whether from near or far, they always share our grief and enquire about the progress of the investigation. In other words, they have stood by the family and continue to do so even today. I had no prior plans to meet Rahul ji. However, I must say that his gesture reflects his magnanimity. Despite his extremely busy schedule, he made time to meet me and honour me. I am grateful to him, and I wanted to share this with all the viewers,” he said.
He further said that Rahul Gandhi also feels the family’s pain and expressed concern over the prevailing law-and-order situation in Punjab.
“Rahul ji also feels this pain. Murders are happening in Punjab every single day. Amid this bloodshed, the law-and-order situation in the state is extremely pathetic. Rahul ji is also deeply saddened by this situation. Punjab is completely distressed,” Balkaur Singh said.
Earlier in the day, addressing the rally, Rahul Gandhi recalled his meeting with Sidhu Moosewala and said the “mindset” behind the singer’s killing was now “roaming around every nook and corner of Punjab”.
Gandhi said he had changed his planned speech after Moosewala’s father came to meet him and later called him on stage.
“What happened to his son has now become a fashion in Punjab. The mindset that shot Sidhu Moosewala in front of everyone, without any fear, that same mindset is roaming around every nook and corner of Punjab today,” Gandhi said.
Recalling his first meeting with the singer, Gandhi said Moosewala had visited his office seeking to join the Congress party. He described him as a talented and dynamic person and said he had felt that entering politics could expose the singer to risks.
Gandhi also recalled the threats received by Moosewala and his killing in broad daylight in Punjab.
Shifting his focus to the drug menace and crime in the state, Gandhi said he had raised the issue of drugs spreading in Punjab several years ago. He alleged that the lack of industries, factories and employment opportunities was contributing to drug abuse and gangsterism.
Meanwhile, Punjab Congress Working President Raj Kumar Verka said the region had witnessed the killing of Sidhu Moosewala and several other incidents linked to drugs, police brutality and gangsterism.
“This is the very place where Sidhu Moosewala was murdered and where his blood was shed. Many people have lost their lives here due to drugs. Others have faced police brutality, while many have suffered because of the growing menace of gangsterism. This region, which is the home turf of Bhagwant Mann, has become a hub of gangsterism and is increasingly turning into a haven for drug peddlers and addicts. It is important to save this region,” Verka said.
He said the Congress had sounded a call from Sangrur to launch a campaign against drugs and pledged to hold those responsible accountable for alleged corruption involving the families of Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal.
“From here, the Congress party has sounded a clarion call to launch a campaign against drugs. Furthermore, we have pledged to hold those responsible accountable for corruption involving the families of Bhagwant Mann and Arvind Kejriwal, as well as for the Central Government’s apathy towards Punjab,” he said.
Congress MP Charanjit Singh Channi, meanwhile, expressed confidence that the party would return to power in Punjab in the 2027 state Assembly elections.
“The Congress party will come to power in Punjab. The people have already made their intentions clear. It is written on the wall. It is only a matter of time; we just have to get through the remaining period,” Channi said.
Congress leader Balbir Singh Sidhu said, “He (Rahul Gandhi) has expressed concern regarding the murders of young people in Punjab, and the fact that the youth are dying due to the drug menace in the state. It is a matter of grave concern. They are deeply worried about this and are determined to put an end to it. The battle we are fighting will eventually lead to our victory, though it will take time…”
Sidhu Moosewala was shot dead by assailants in Jawaharke village of Punjab’s Mansa district on May 29, 2022. His security was withdrawn by the Punjab Police a day before the killing, along with that of 424 others.
Gangster Lawrence Bishnoi is an accused in the murder case, while Canada-based gangster Goldy Brar is also accused of planning the killing.
The remarks come ahead of the 2027 state assembly elections, which are set to see a high-stakes battle between the BJP, Congress and the incumbent AAP. In the 2022 Assembly polls, AAP won 92 of the state’s 117 seats, while Congress secured 18. (ANI)
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