The political confrontation between the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Congress intensified on Wednesday after Rahul Gandhi accused Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann of smelling of alcohol during parliamentary proceedings. The AAP described the remarks as a “below-the-belt” attack and accused the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of joining hands to target the state ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections.
AAP Delhi president Saurabh Bharadwaj criticised Gandhi, saying that making personal allegations served no purpose and that a leader of his stature should avoid such comments. He also pointed out that allegations of drug use had been made against Gandhi, arguing that accusations did not achieve anything.
“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 said, according to news agency PTI.
The remarks followed Gandhi's address at the Congress's Insaaf Rally in Phaguwala village in Punjab's Sangrur district, where he launched a sharp attack on the Mann government over the drug menace, gangster violence and farmers' concerns.
Gandhi questions Mann's record on drugs
Recalling his time in Parliament with Mann, Gandhi alleged that the Punjab chief minister had smelled of alcohol during a parliamentary sitting at around 11 am. He said that while consuming alcohol was a personal choice, a chief minister leading a state-wide campaign against substance abuse should not be intoxicated.
“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.
He also questioned the AAP government's promise to eliminate drugs from Punjab, asking what parts of the state had been freed from the menace since the party came to power.
“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?” he said.
Gandhi made drugs and gangster violence central to his criticism of the state government. He also referred to the killing of Punjabi singer Sidhu Moosewala, recalling his meeting with the singer before his death in 2022 and raising concerns about the security situation in Punjab.
The Congress leader also questioned Union Home Minister Amit Shah's claim that the drug menace in Punjab would be eliminated within three years. Gandhi challenged the Centre over its efforts to tackle the problem and questioned what action had been taken over drug seizures at Adani ports.
He further alleged that the Mann government was being run from Delhi, with AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal and Shah exercising influence over its functioning.
“People need a government that works for Punjab, not like AAP, which is run from Delhi. We will run the government from the soil of Punjab, with neither the home minister nor a former chief minister of Delhi interfering,” Gandhi said.
He urged voters to give the Congress an opportunity to govern the state, promising a government focused on farmers, employment and a drug-free Punjab.
Bharadwaj accuses BJP and Congress of targeting Punjab
Responding to Gandhi's remarks, Bharadwaj questioned why the Congress leader had not made similar comments about chief ministers of BJP-ruled states, including Uttar Pradesh's Yogi Adityanath and Uttarakhand's Pushkar Singh Dhami.
“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 accused the two parties of focusing their political attacks on the AAP government rather than addressing issues in other states where elections are due.
“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,” Bharadwaj said.
The exchange comes as the Congress steps up its criticism of the AAP government ahead of the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections. The Congress has accused the ruling party of failing to fulfil its promises on tackling drugs and gangster violence and addressing farmers' issues.
AAP's distance from INDIA bloc adds to tensions
The latest confrontation also highlights the strained relationship between the two parties, which are partners in the INDIA bloc at the national level but political rivals in Punjab.
The AAP has repeatedly questioned the Congress's leadership of the Opposition alliance and said the bloc has “no future” as long as the Congress leads it.
In June, AAP leader Somnath Bharti criticised the Congress after skipping a key INDIA bloc meeting, alleging that the party had promised to fight alongside its allies but appeared to be aligned with the BJP behind the scenes.
“[Congress] said on one hand that we would fight as an alliance and back each other, but behind the scenes [it] appears to be with the BJP,” Bharti had said.
The AAP formally quit the INDIA bloc in July 2025. Punjab Chief Minister Mann has since repeatedly taken jibes at the Congress, saying that in Punjab and Delhi, “mothers could tell their children the shortest story: Once there used to be Congress”.
Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh, who announced the AAP's decision to leave the alliance, had also blamed the Congress for the split. He said the party had failed to keep the Opposition united after the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
“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.
The INDIA bloc won 234 seats in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, reducing the BJP's tally to its lowest since 2014. The BJP nevertheless remained the single largest party in the House and secured a majority with the support of its alliance partners.
With the Congress and AAP preparing to contest against each other in Punjab, the latest exchange over Mann's alleged alcohol consumption has further exposed the political divide between the two parties ahead of the state polls.