• Rahul Gandhi raises allegations about Mann’s drinking habits at a Sangrur rally.
• Nayab Singh Saini urges Punjab residents to help Mann give up alcohol.
• Saini earlier described Gandhi’s remarks as “absolutely true”.
• AAP calls the comments a personal attack amid the political build-up to 2027 polls.

GG News Bureau
Chandigarh, 10th Nov: Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann is facing criticism from Congress and the BJP over allegations about his drinking habits, with the remarks triggering a political exchange ahead of the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections.

The controversy intensified after Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini urged people in Punjab to help Mann give up alcohol, linking his comments to the state’s fight against substance abuse.

“Mann sahab ki daaroo chhurwao, tabhi nasha khatam ho sakta hai,” Saini said, taking a dig at the Punjab Chief Minister.

The remarks followed Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s speech at a rally in Sangrur on November 4. Recalling his time in Parliament with Mann, Gandhi alleged that the Punjab Chief Minister’s breath smelled of alcohol even at 11 am.

Gandhi said consuming alcohol was a personal choice but questioned whether a Chief Minister could lead the fight against addiction while facing such allegations.

“I’m not saying Bhagwant Mann should quit drinking. That is his personal issue. But if the fight is against addiction, then the Chief Minister cannot be an addict,” Gandhi said.

Saini had earlier backed Gandhi’s remarks, describing them as “absolutely true”. He also recalled that Gandhi and Mann had sat together in the Lok Sabha when they were part of the INDIA alliance.

The Aam Aadmi Party has rejected the criticism, describing Gandhi’s remarks as a below-the-belt personal attack. The party has accused the Congress and BJP of joining hands to target Mann.

The exchange has brought the Chief Minister’s personal conduct into the wider political debate over drug abuse and law and order in Punjab. With Assembly elections approaching in 2027, the opposition’s criticism has added another dimension to its challenge to the AAP government.