• AAP releases a video invoking Sikh identity and the 1984 anti-Sikh riots.
• The party accuses Rahul Gandhi of disrespecting the Sikh community.
• Gandhi had questioned Mann over alleged alcohol use and Punjab’s drug problem.
• The political exchange follows Gandhi’s remarks at the November 4 Sangrur rally.

GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 8th Nov: The AAP video row involving Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has taken a new turn, with the Aam Aadmi Party bringing Sikh identity and the 1984 anti-Sikh riots into the political exchange.

AAP released a fresh video on its social media handle, accusing Gandhi of disrespecting the Sikh community through his remarks against Mann. The video includes references to the 1984 violence and visuals depicting Sikhs being targeted during the riots.

The latest response shifts the party’s focus beyond defending Mann against allegations about alcohol consumption and the state government’s handling of the drug problem. AAP has sought to link Gandhi’s remarks with the Congress’s historical record during the 1984 violence.

The party had earlier responded to Gandhi’s comments with a personal counterattack, using the term “Pappu” in a post on social media. AAP leaders also accused the Congress leader of resorting to personal attacks instead of engaging in a political debate over Punjab’s issues.

The controversy began at the Congress’s Insaaf Rally in Sangrur on November 4, where Gandhi recalled his time in Parliament with Mann. He alleged that he could smell alcohol on the comedian-turned-politician even in the morning.

Gandhi questioned how Mann could lead the fight against drugs if he was allegedly intoxicated every evening. He also challenged AAP’s claims about tackling Punjab’s drug problem, asking which parts of the state had actually become free of drugs.

What began as a political exchange over Mann’s alleged alcohol consumption and the drug menace has now expanded into a broader confrontation involving Sikh identity, the 1984 anti-Sikh riots and the Congress’s political legacy.