Congress in-charge for Punjab Sachin Pilot on Monday, 2 November launched a sharp attack on the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government, alleging that the ruling party had pushed Punjab into a deepening crisis of drug addiction and deteriorating law and order. Pilot made the remarks in Sangrur, ahead of Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi's scheduled 'Insaaf Rally' in the same city on 4 November.

Allegations Against the AAP Government

"In the last few years, the AAP has completely ruined Punjab. The entire state has been pushed towards addiction, and murders and killings have become normal. In the last two years, 395 innocent people have been shot. The police have been rendered helpless. They are working as yes-men of the government, thus losing the trust of the people," Pilot alleged.

He claimed the state police had effectively lost public confidence by functioning as an instrument of the ruling dispensation rather than an independent force. The allegations echo long-standing criticism from opposition parties, though the AAP government has previously contested such characterisations of Punjab's law and order situation.

The Insaaf Rally and Rahul Gandhi's Visit

Pilot described the upcoming rally as a platform for Congress workers, farmers, youth and ordinary citizens from across Punjab to demand justice and spotlight issues of drug abuse and violence. "Rahul Gandhi will address an 'Insaaf Rally' in Sangrur on November 4. He will meet the people of Punjab to demand their rights and justice and to address issues such as drugs and violence. It will be a historic rally," Pilot said.

The Congress leader framed Rahul Gandhi's visit as a significant organisational signal ahead of the next state assembly elections. "Rahul Gandhi coming to the state is a positive sign. The entire party is working together with zeal so that the message can be sent to the masses that Congress will win the upcoming elections and serve the people dedicatedly," he said.

AAP's Internal Cracks, Pilot Argues

Pilot also seized on reports of prominent AAP leaders and Rajya Sabha members exiting the party, arguing it reflected growing disillusionment with the party's functioning and failure to honour its founding promises. "The crack has been open for long. Several AAP Rajya Sabha members have left the party, and prominent leaders are also quitting because the party has completely failed to deliver on the issues and promises on which it was founded and with which it entered Punjab," he said.

Questioning the AAP leadership's public response — which reportedly dismissed departing members as inconsequential — Pilot asked pointedly: "If your MLAs and MPs do not trust you, how can the public trust you? Now, you are saying that the ones who are leaving were useless; then why did you bear with them for the last five years? Why did you give them important positions in the cabinet?"

Congress Eyes Direct Contest With AAP

Pilot characterised the AAP's dismissive posture toward defections as arrogance, and framed the political contest in Punjab as a straight two-way fight. "This is arrogance and pride, and the real competition is between AAP and Congress," he said. This comes amid broader efforts by Congress to rebuild its organisational strength in Punjab, a state it lost to the AAP in the 2022 assembly elections by a wide margin. The Insaaf Rally, Pilot indicated, would mark the formal beginning of the party's campaign to reclaim the state.