Cong alone understands Punjab: Rahul

Chandigarh: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday said that only his party was capable of ruling in a State like Punjab where security was the most important issue. Addressing an election rally at Hoshiarpur in Punjab, Gandhi said that his party understood the State and its problems well and hence only the Congress could take it forward on way to progress.

Hitting out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Rahul Gandhi alleged that the BJP government led by him made the poor stand in queue for their hard-earned money, but now, the government doesn't talk about black money at all.

Taking a dig at Home Minister Amit Shah's statement made on Sunday on the drug menace in the state during his election rally in Punjab, Gandhi said why didn't the Union minister speak on this issue when his party was in power in alliance with Shiromani Akali Dal in the state for long.

"When I raised the issue of drugs when SAD-BJP was in power, they (BJP leaders) made fun of me and said Rahul Gandhi was lying. Hence they were protecting the drug traffickers, they did not utter a word on drugs. Now, when they are not in power they say they will wipe out drugs from the state," he said. Gandhi promised that his party would wipe out the problem of drugs from Punjab if people vote it back to power.

"Punjab is a sensitive state where peace is the most important factor for security. Congress is the only party which has the proven record of ensuring peace in the state," Gandhi said. Claiming that Congress alone understood the pain of farmers, Gandhi alleged that the BJP government at the Centre made farmers sit on dharna on Delhi borders for a year.

"We knew that the central government will have to withdraw the Bills because we knew the power of farmers,"

Gandhi added.