Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday met families affected by drug addiction and those whose relatives were killed in Punjab, assuring them of the party's support in their fight for justice.
The two leaders interacted with the families during the Congress's Insaaf Rally, heard their grievances and discussed the challenges they faced following the deaths of their relatives and the impact of drug addiction.
According to a party statement, Kharge and Gandhi met the families of Sukhwinder Singh Kalkatta, Gurmel Singh Toot and Parkash Chand, expressing solidarity with them and promising to raise their concerns.
๐๐ฎ๐บ๐ถ๐น๐ถ๐ฒ๐ ๐๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ธ ๐ณ๐ฎ๐ถ๐ฟ ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐
The family of Sukhwinder Singh Kalkatta, who was shot dead in Sehna in Barnala district in October 2025, demanded a fair investigation into his killing and stringent action against those responsible.
Similarly, the family of Congress leader and former sarpanch Gurmel Singh Toot, who was killed in Patti in Tarn Taran district in September 2025, sought justice and accountability.
Both families shared their concerns with the Congress leadership and called for effective action against those involved in the killings.
Kharge and Gandhi assured them that their grievances would be taken up and that the party would make every possible effort to support their pursuit of justice.
๐๐ฟ๐๐ด ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ฑ๐ถ๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐น๐ฒ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐ ๐ณ๐ฎ๐บ๐ถ๐น๐ ๐ถ๐ป ๐ฑ๐ถ๐๐๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐
During the interaction, Parkash Chand, a resident of Bathinda, described the difficulties faced by his family because of his son's drug addiction.
He told the Congress leaders that the situation had pushed the household into severe financial hardship, affecting its ability to meet essential expenses and provide for the children's education.
The family sought assistance for the son's rehabilitation, financial support and help in ensuring the education of Chand's daughters.
Kharge and Gandhi listened to the family's concerns and assured them of continued support in addressing the challenges arising from drug addiction.
The Congress said the interaction reflected the party's commitment to standing with families affected by drug abuse and those seeking justice for violent crimes.
๐ฅ๐ฎ๐ต๐๐น ๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ด๐ฒ๐๐ ๐๐๐ฃ ๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ฑ๐ฟ๐๐ด๐, ๐น๐ฎ๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฟ
Earlier, addressing the Insaaf Rally, Gandhi launched a sharp attack on the Aam Aadmi Party government over what he described as deteriorating law and order and the continuing problem of drug addiction in Punjab.
He identified the spread of 'chitta', a commonly used term for synthetic drugs, as a major concern and questioned the state government's handling of the issue.
The Congress has repeatedly criticised the AAP administration over drug trafficking, addiction and violent crime, accusing it of failing to deliver on its promises to improve public safety.
Wednesday's interaction with the affected families formed part of the party's wider campaign to highlight these issues and press for stronger measures against drug abuse and criminal activity in Punjab.