Sangrur — Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi addressed the party's 'Insaaf Rally' at Fagguwala village in Sangrur district on Wednesday, an event the Punjab Congress presented as the formal launch of its campaign for the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Punjab Congress president Pargat Singh, Punjab in-charge Sachin Pilot and former chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi were among the senior leaders at the rally, Punjab Chronicle reported. Sangrur is Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann's home district and is regarded as an Aam Aadmi Party stronghold.

Source: Punjab Chronicle — Rahul Gandhi at Sangrur Insaaf Rally

Welcoming Gandhi and Kharge ahead of the rally, Sachin Pilot called the Insaaf Rally the beginning of a 'new ray of hope' for Punjab and the start of the Congress's political campaign in the state, ANI reported. Punjab Congress leaders had said ahead of the event that the rally would raise the rights, future and justice of the people of Punjab, IANS reported.

Source: ANI via Apna TV — Pilot welcomes Rahul Gandhi, Kharge

'Come anywhere, sit with me and debate': the challenge to Modi

In the sharpest line of his address, Gandhi challenged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to a face-to-face debate, saying Modi could choose any judge, including RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, Punjab Chronicle reported. Gandhi claimed a five-minute debate would be enough to establish whose policies were against the country's interests — his claim, made in a campaign speech. Wire-style reports of the rally carried the same challenge in the words 'Come anywhere, sit with me and debate.'

Source: Punjab Chronicle — debate challenge to PM Modi

Gandhi alleged that Prime Minister Modi was influenced by US President Donald Trump and criticised the India-US trade deal, claiming it could affect Indian farmers and small industrialists — an allegation by the Congress leader, not an established finding. He referred to Trump's repeated claims about intervening in India-Pakistan tensions and questioned why the Prime Minister had not given a clear response, and said Modi called him anti-national but avoided debating him directly, arguing Parliament should give the Opposition an opportunity to raise important questions.

Source: Punjab Chronicle — Gandhi on Modi, Trump and the trade deal

The Moosewala moment: 'I am changing my speech'

An emotional passage came when Gandhi noticed late Punjabi singer Sidhu Moosewala's father, Balkaur Singh, in the audience. Gandhi called him to the stage and said he was changing his prepared speech after seeing him, Punjab Chronicle reported in a separate report on the rally. Recalling Moosewala's murder, Gandhi questioned the circumstances surrounding the withdrawal of the singer's security, referred to the killing in broad daylight, and remembered meeting Balkaur Singh in Moosa village. He said the incident reflected the fear and insecurity affecting Punjab and alleged that talented young people and those working for the state faced threats and violence — his remarks at the rally.

Source: Punjab Chronicle — Rahul Gandhi remembers Sidhu Moosewala at Sangrur

Drugs and law and order dominate the attack on AAP

Gandhi described drugs as one of Punjab's biggest challenges and said unemployment, weak educational opportunities and limited industrial growth were contributing to the state's problems. He questioned the Punjab government over its claims of controlling drug trafficking and raised concerns about synthetic drugs, medical drugs and the wider narcotics problem. These are opposition allegations made in a campaign speech; the AAP government says its Yudh Nashian Virudh and Gangsteran Te Vaar drives are acting against traffickers and gangsters, and its detailed response to Wednesday's speech had not been reported in the sources cited here at the time of writing.

Source: Punjab Chronicle — drugs and law and order in Gandhi's address

Pargat Singh alleged that Punjab was facing a serious law and order crisis under AAP rule and raised concerns about farmers, traders and pending paddy procurement. Kharge criticised the AAP, alleging it had weakened Congress prospects in Goa and Gujarat, accused the Punjab government of corruption and questioned the alleged flow of collection money to Delhi — all allegations by Congress leaders at the rally, reported by Punjab Chronicle. Channi and other senior leaders urged workers to stay united and strengthen the party at the grassroots ahead of 2027.

Source: Punjab Chronicle — Pargat Singh and Kharge target AAP

AAP and BJP respond

Responding on the same day, Punjab minister and AAP leader Harpal Cheema remarked that whenever Rahul Gandhi had visited Punjab, he had done nothing but contribute to its ruin — Cheema's remark, reported in coverage of his separate statement accusing the BJP-led Centre of using the Enforcement Directorate and CBI at election time after Wednesday's ED searches at premises linked to AAP MLA Amandeep Kaur Arora in Moga. On the BJP side, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta dared Gandhi to debate in Parliament, according to Nation Press's listing of the day's Punjab political coverage. No BJP response from Prime Minister Modi himself to the debate challenge had been reported at the time of writing.

Source: Indian Economic Observer — Cheema accuses BJP over ED, comments on Gandhi visit