SANGRUR: Sidhu Moosewala‘s father, Balkaur Singh Sidhu, on Wednesday thanked Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for standing by his family after the Punjabi singer’s murder. He said Gandhi continued 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 had taken time out of his busy schedule to meet him. He expressed gratitude to the Congress leader for his continued support.“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 told news agency ANI.He added that Rahul Gandhi empathised with the family’s pain and also expressed concern over the 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 Moosewala, Gandhi said the singer had visited his office seeking to join the Congress. Describing him as talented and dynamic, Gandhi said he had felt that entering politics could expose the singer to potential risks.He also recalled the threats Moosewala had received before he was shot dead 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 several incidents involving drugs, police brutality and gangsterism, besides the murder of Sidhu Moosewala.“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.Sidhu Moosewala was shot dead by assailants in Jawaharke village in Punjab’s Mansa district on May 29, 2022. A day before the murder, the Punjab Police had withdrawn his security cover 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 plotting the killing.The remarks come ahead of the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections, which are expected to witness a high-stakes contest between the BJP, Congress and the ruling AAP. In the 2022 Assembly elections, AAP won 92 of the state’s 117 seats, while Congress secured 18. (With agency inputs)
