Rahul meets Moose Wala's family, remarks on law & order situation in Punjab

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who met the family of slain Punjabi singer Sidhu Moosewala here on Tuesday to offer his condolences, targeted the Bhagwant Mann led AAP government, saying maintaining peace in the state is beyond their capability.

Gandhi drove straight to the singer's native village Moosa from the Chandigarh airport in the morning and spent nearly 50 minutes with the family. He also paid floral tributes to Moosewala.

Shortly after he left Moosewala's residence after meeting the family, Gandhi slammed the government over the law and order situation.

"The law and order of the state has completely broken down. Maintaining peace and tranquillity in Punjab is beyond the capability of the AAP government," Gandhi tweeted in Hindi.

On his visit to Moosewala's residence, Gandhi said, "It is difficult to describe the grief that the parents of Congress leader Sidhu Moosewala ji are going through".

"It is our duty to get them justice, and we will do so," he said.

Several Congress leaders including Punjab Congress chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring, Leader of Opposition in the Punjab Assembly Partap Singh Bajwa, former deputy chief minister O P Soni and other party leaders accompanied him. Security was tightened outside the residence of Moosewala in view of Gandhi's visit.

Moosewala was shot dead by unidentified assailants in Mansa on May 29.

Gandhi was abroad when the killing took place and returned over the weekend.

Moosewala, who had joined the Congress December last year, had unsuccessfully contested from the Mansa seat in the 2022 Punjab Assembly elections.

Leaders cutting across parties and other prominent persons have been visiting Moosewala's native village to meet the family and express their condolences.

Shortly before Gandhi's arrival, Congress' Patiala MP Preneet Kaur, who was last year served a show-cause notice for her alleged anti-party activities, also paid a visit to the singer's house and expressed condolences.

However, she left before the former Congress chief arrived.

Kaur is the wife of former chief minister Amarinder Singh.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann have already met Moosewala's parents.

Senior Congress leader Partap Singh Bajwa had written to CM Mann, urging him to "transfer the murder case to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) or the National Investigation Agency (NIA) so that justice can be delivered to the family at the earliest.