Chandigarh: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi visited the flood-affected regions in the Amritsar and Gurdaspur districts of Punjab on Monday, engaging with those impacted by the natural disaster. He was joined by Punjab Congress president Amrinder Singh Raja Warring, opposition leader in the Punjab Assembly Partap Singh Bajwa, Amritsar MP Gurjeet Singh Aujla, Gurdaspur MP Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, and other party officials. Upon his arrival in Amritsar, he traveled to Ghonewal village in Ajnala to meet with the flood-affected residents and assess the damage. Ghonewal was among the many areas severely affected by the flooding. Gandhi also visited homes that were damaged during the floods and took time to converse with some of the affected individuals.
Following his visit to Ghonewal, Gandhi paid his respects at the historic gurdwara Baba Budha Sahib in the Ramdas area of Amritsar, participating in an ‘ardas’ (prayer) and receiving a ‘siropa’ (robe of honor) at the gurdwara. Former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister and the party’s Punjab in-charge Bhupesh Baghel, along with former Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi, were also in attendance. Gandhi, who serves as the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, subsequently visited Gurchak village in Dera Baba Nanak within Gurdaspur district, where MP Sukhjinder Randhawa highlighted the agricultural fields damaged by the flooding. The Congress party posted on X, indicating that Gandhi met with affected families and reviewed the relief efforts.
‘The devastating floods in Punjab have devastated the lives of thousands. There has been significant loss of life and property, with many forced into relief camps. The situation is dire. During this challenging time, every Congress worker stands with Punjab. We urge everyone to assist the flood-affected families in any way possible,’ the post stated in Hindi. Congress MLA Pargat Singh remarked in Amritsar that Gandhi is a leader who deeply understands Punjab’s suffering. Congress leader Navjot Kaur Sidhu expressed to reporters in Amritsar that Gandhi’s visit was a great encouragement. ‘For us, Rahul Gandhi is our foremost leader. He urged us to continue our service,’ she stated.
Punjab has experienced one of its most severe flood crises in decades, caused by swollen Sutlej, Beas, and Ravi rivers, along with seasonal rivulets from heavy rainfall in their catchment areas in Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir.