Rahul advises Mann on running independent govt, he reminds him of Capt ouster, Channi

“Every state has its history…way of living and Punjab should be run from Punjab only. Punjab should not be run from Delhi. Bhagwant Mann ji should should not be under any pressure from (Arvind) Kejriwal ji You should work independently and should not be under the remote control of anyone. This is about history of Punjab,” said Gandhi.

Rahul Gandhi during the Bharat Jodo Yatra in Jalandhar on Monday morning. (Twitter/ @incindia)

“Punjab CM should listen to what is in the hearts of the farmers and labourers in the state and work accordingly,” he said, adding whenever the Congress-ruled Punjab, the philosophy was that the chief minister should run the state.

Mann, who has been facing criticism from the opposition parties, which allege that all major decisions of his government are being taken in Delhi by AAP national convener and Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal, hit back at Gandhi. “I was made CM by the people of Punjab while (Charanjit Singh) Channi ji was (made CM) by Rahul Gandhi. From Delhi, you insulted and removed CM Captain (Amarinder Singh) Sahib in two minutes. The Congress president of Punjab (Amrinder Singh Raja Warring) is being pushed around during the (Bharat Jodo) Yatra. You don’t sound good while saying this,” Mann said in a tweet he shared in Punjabi and Hindi.

Later, in a statement, he said Gandhi had no moral right to say anything about democracy or democratic norms. He said the Congress leader has forgotten that “hands of his family are drenched with murder of democracy in country and people will never forgive them for this sin”.

Meanwhile, Gandhi also hit out against the BJP-led government at the Centre. Referring to the three now-repealed farm laws, Gandhi said farmers had protested against it and did not go back to their homes for more than a year. “They did tapasya. Seven hundred people were martyred. When I sought observance of two-minute silence in Parliament in their memory, it was not allowed. The government said no one got martyred,” said Gandhi.

After one year of the protest, the prime minister admitted it was a mistake but did not speak to the protesting farmers. “Had the UPA government been in power and Manmohan Singh the prime minister, he would have gone and talked to the farmers,” he added. He also lashed out at the BJP government over the issues of farm laws, demonetisation and the “wrong” implementation of Goods and Services Tax (GST), and added “this government does not listen”.

Sidhu Moosewala’s father Balkaur Singh Sidhu with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. (Video screengrab/ Twitter)

“This country is of ‘tapasvis’. We want those who do ‘tapasya’ and give sweat and blood to be protected and be given reward for their tapasya,” he said.

“The labourers, small shopkeepers, small and medium businessmen, the youth, they all do tapasya. When a student takes 10+2 exam, it is his tapasya. When a farmer sows seed, it is tapasya. When a labourer builds a building, it is tapasya. But, in the country, whosoever is doing tapasya is not getting any fruit of it. And those who are not doing any tapasya, they are getting full benefit,” he said, adding the debt of farmers is not waived but loans of lakhs of crores of rupees of two-three rich people are written off, he alleged and targeted the government.

Gandhi further took on the BJP government over the issues of rising unemployment and inflation. He said the party decided to undertake the yatra as it was not being allowed to raise issues concerning people. “TV (media) shows Narendra Modi for 24 hours. Have you ever heard unemployment and inflation on TV (channels),” he asked the gathering. He further said they were not allowed to speak on issues including the Agniveer scheme, China, GST and demonetisation in Parliament.

Earlier, Gandhi started the Yatra from Kala Bakra, near Adampur in Jalandhar. Historian Irfan Habib, jailed former state Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu’s wife Dr Navjot Kaur Sidhu joined the Yatra as did PCC chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring’s wife Amrita Warring. Gandhi also met late Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) founder Kanshi Ram’s sister Swaran Kaur and Kanshi Ram Foundation chief Lakhbir Singh.