Amritsar/Gurdaspur, September 16: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was barred by Punjab Police from visiting a flood-ravaged border village across the Ravi river during his trip to Punjab, triggering a political row and sharp reactions from his party colleagues.
Gandhi, who had toured parts of Amritsar and Gurdaspur districts to meet families affected by heavy flooding, was stopped when he attempted to cross into Toor, a village located near the India-Pakistan border. Police officials cited security concerns, saying the area was sensitive and potentially unsafe.
A video of the exchange, widely circulated on social media, captured Gandhi questioning the decision. Pointing to the settlement across the river, he asked a senior officer: “You are telling me you cannot keep me safe on Indian territory? Is it not India?”
The officer responded, “We are always ready to protect you,” but Gandhi pressed further: “But you are saying that is India, and you cannot protect me in India.”
Accompanied by Punjab Congress president Amrinder Singh Raja Warring and MP Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, Gandhi expressed dismay, asking: “Are you saying the Leader of Opposition cannot visit because Punjab Police cannot provide protection?”
The restriction quickly drew criticism from Congress leaders, who alleged that the AAP-led state government deliberately used security as an excuse to prevent Gandhi from meeting villagers in the flood-hit zone.
Former Punjab chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi condemned the move. “Our own people live there. Gandhi wanted to meet them and check on their well-being. We have been running a medical camp in that area for three days. It is unfortunate that he was stopped,” Channi said.
Punjab Congress chief Warring echoed the concern, remarking: “If Rahul Gandhi faces a threat from Pakistan while in India, and we’re not safe even on Indian soil, then where are we safe?”
Senior leader Partap Singh Bajwa went further, calling the decision “shameful and insensitive.” He alleged it was politically motivated rather than based on genuine security risks. “This was not a security issue; it was a political decision to avoid accountability. The government is using flimsy security pretexts to stop Gandhi from reaching the worst-hit areas,” he said.
Bajwa also accused both AAP and BJP leaders of neglecting the plight of residents in the border belt. “These are our people, our fellow Indians. Just because they live near the border does not make them less deserving of help,” he noted.
