NEW DELHI: Congress MP Rahul Gandhi fondly remembered late Punjabi singer Sidhu Moosewala at the party’s ‘Insaaf Rally’ on Wednesday. The leader of the opposition in Lok Sabha recalled his first meeting with the singer and described him as an impressive, dynamic and talented young man. Inviting Moosewala’s father onto the stage, Rahul Gandhi recounted how the singer had walked into his office with tattoos and made an impression on him even before he had heard any of his songs. He also recalled feeling that Moosewala was entering a dangerous field when he decided to join politics.Rahul said he had not known much about Moosewala when they first met a few years ago. He had not heard his music or even his voice. However, the singer’s personality and the impression he made during their interaction led Rahul to induct him into the Congress.“A few years ago, I met his son at my office. At that time, I did not know Sidhu Moosewala. I was meeting him for the first time and did not know much about him. He was an impressive young man. He walked into the room with tattoos. I had not heard his songs or even his voice at that time. I was only told that he was a good person, a musician, and wanted to join the Congress party. As politicians, we observe people carefully when they come to meet us. We do not rely too much on their words; we go by our feelings and what our heart tells us about them. He was a dynamic and talented young man, so I inducted him into the party.”Recalling the concern he felt during that meeting, the leader of opposition said he had sensed that Moosewala was stepping into a dangerous environment by entering politics. He said he wanted to offer the young singer political protection and help him feel comfortable in the party.“During our meeting, a thought suddenly crossed my mind, though nobody had told me anything about it. I felt that he was entering a dangerous field. I don’t know why I got that feeling. He was a singer, a dynamic young man, and someone who did not understand politics very well. I felt I should protect him in my own way. I did not mean physical protection; that thought had not even crossed my mind. I meant political protection. He was a young man entering politics, and I wanted him to feel comfortable in that environment.”Moosewala was shot dead in May 2022 in Punjab’s Mansa district. His killing had triggered widespread outrage and questions over the state’s law-and-order situation.Rahul Gandhi had also invoked Moosewala’s memory during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. When asked how many seats the INDIA bloc would win, he responded with a seemingly cryptic “295”. The number was widely seen as a reference to Moosewala’s popular song 295, adding another instance of the Congress leader’s association with the late singer.
Rahul Gandhi attacks Bhagwant Mann over drug menace
Rahul Gandhi also targeted Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government over the drug problem in the state. Questioning the party’s promise to eradicate drug abuse, he asked what parts of Punjab had been freed from the menace since the AAP came to power.“The Aam Aadmi Party came to power, and you placed your trust in it. Punjab trusted Bhagwant Mann and the Aam Aadmi Party. What was their promise? That they would eradicate drug abuse. I want to ask you… Where have they eradicated drugs? From which part of Punjab have they managed to eliminate the drug menace? They cannot eradicate drugs.”
He also alleged that Mann’s breath would smell of alcohol during their interactions in Parliament. Rahul said the chief minister would sit with MPs and crack jokes early in the morning, but that the smell of alcohol would be noticeable by 11am.Clarifying that he was not questioning Mann’s personal choice to consume alcohol, Rahul said a chief minister leading a campaign against drug abuse could not himself be under the influence of intoxicants.“Let me tell you another story about your chief minister. When I was in the Lok Sabha, he would sit with us early in the morning and crack jokes. However, by 11 am, his breath would smell of alcohol. I am not saying that Bhagwant Mann should not consume alcohol. That is his personal matter. If he wants to drink, it is his personal choice. But if you want to fight drug abuse, your chief minister cannot be under the influence of intoxicants every evening.“