AAP Delhi president Saurabh Bharadwaj criticised Rahul Gandhi’s remark on Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann as below-the-belt
Rahul Gandhi made the comment while attacking the AAP government at an Insaaf Rally in Sangrur district
Gandhi accused AAP of failing on drugs, gangster violence and farmers’ issues in Punjab
The Aam Aadmi Party on Wednesday sharpened its fight with Congress in Punjab, attacking Rahul Gandhi over his remarks on Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and calling them "below-the-belt" as the state heads towards the 2027 assembly election.
AAP Delhi president Saurabh Bharadwaj responded after Gandhi alleged that Mann smelled of alcohol in Parliament. Bharadwaj said the comments were unbecoming of Gandhi’s stature and accused the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party of jointly targeting Punjab.
The exchange marks the latest round in a wider AAP-Congress contest in Punjab, where both parties have stepped up attacks before the next assembly poll. The row followed Gandhi’s speech at an Insaaf Rally in Sangrur district, where he targeted the AAP government over drugs, gangster violence and farmers’ issues.
Gandhi's Punjab Attack
Addressing the party’s Insaaf Rally at Phaguwala village in Sangrur district, the leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha accused the ruling party of failing on drugs, gangster violence and farmers’ issues. He asked what had changed after AAP came to power on the promise of ending the drug menace.
"The AAP formed the government after people placed their trust in the party and Bhagwant Mann. What promise did it make? That it will end the drug menace in Punjab. I want to ask the AAP, from which corner of the state has it wiped out drugs?" Gandhi said.
He then made his remarks about Mann. "In Lok Sabha, he (Mann) used to crack jokes sitting with us. At 11 am, he smelled of alcohol. I am not saying Bhagwant Mann should not consume alcohol; it is his personal matter. But if you want to fight drugs, the chief minister can't get intoxicated every evening," Gandhi said.
Bharadwaj Hits Back
Bharadwaj rejected the allegation. Responding to Gandhi’s claim that Mann smelled of alcohol in Parliament, Bharadwaj said personal accusations served no purpose. "Allegations of drug use have also been made against Rahul Gandhi. But making accusations doesn't achieve anything. I feel that at Rahul Gandhi's level, he really shouldn't be making such cheap comments," Bharadwaj told PTI.
He also asked why Gandhi had not made similar remarks about chief ministers in BJP-ruled states, including Uttar Pradesh’s Yogi Adityanath and Uttarakhand’s Pushkar Singh Dhami. Bharadwaj tied the attack to the wider political battle around Punjab.
"This kind of below-the-belt attack by Rahul Gandhi shows how low his politics has stooped. Whether it's the Bharatiya Janata Party or Congress, they have nothing to do with the five elections happening in five states. They've just made Punjab their joint target," he said.
Bharadwaj then accused both parties of focusing only on Punjab instead of fighting in other poll-bound states. "From morning till night, both parties are only focused on Punjab-- 'Bhagwant Mann did this, Bhagwant Mann did that. This happened in Punjab, that happened in Punjab. Today the ED is going to Punjab, tomorrow the CBI will go to Punjab. Today they'll catch this Punjab minister; today they'll catch this Punjab MLA.' Brother, why aren't these two parties fighting in the rest of the states? Why are they after Punjab? Because an Opposition party's chief minister is running the government in Punjab," he continued.
Rift With Congress
As the Punjab assembly election draws closer, Congress has kept up its attack on AAP over unfulfilled promises on drugs, gangster violence and farmers’ issues. At the same Sangrur rally, Gandhi argued that Punjab needed a government that was not controlled from Delhi.
"People need a government that works for Punjab—not like AAP, which is run from Delhi," Gandhi said.
AAP, for its part, has kept its distance from the INDIA bloc. The split became formal in July 2025, when AAP quit the bloc. Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh announced AAP’s exit and blamed Congress for failing to keep the Opposition together after the 2024 election. "The AAP is not a part of the INDIA alliance, though we will continue to strongly raise public issues in Parliament, oppose the government whenever we believe it is in the wrong. We have always played the role of a strong opposition and will continue to do that. INDIA alliance should hold its meetings and take whatever decisions it wants to take," Singh had told reporters.
