Chandigarh, August 24, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) senior leader and MLA Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal on Monday criticised Congress MP Dharamvir Gandhi over his reported remarks concerning religious faith and demanded that Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring and Leader of Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa clarify the party’s position.
Dhaliwal described Gandhi’s statement as “extremely shameful” and alleged that it amounted to an attack on the religious sentiments of Punjab’s people. He questioned whether the Congress leadership endorsed Gandhi’s remarks and asked Warring and Bajwa to publicly state their position.
Referring to the Punjab Government’s Chief Minister’s Pilgrimage Scheme, Dhaliwal said elderly and economically weaker people were being facilitated to visit religious destinations including Sri Anandpur Sahib, Sri Amritsar Sahib, Khatu Shyam, Mathura and Haridwar.
He questioned what was wrong with providing free pilgrimage facilities to elderly and poor residents who otherwise could not afford the expenses involved in travelling to such places. According to Dhaliwal, the state government was arranging accommodation, food and transportation for beneficiaries, with people from villages participating in the programme.
Dhaliwal also referred to arrangements made during the 350th martyrdom anniversary of Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Sahib Ji and other religious events. He said the government was similarly organising programmes with devotion and respect on the occasion of the 650th Gurpurab of Guru Ravidas Ji.
The AAP leader asked Congress leaders whether facilitating devotees’ visits to religious places was considered inappropriate. He urged Warring, Bajwa and the Congress high command to make their position clear and publicly condemn Gandhi’s remarks if the party did not agree with them.
Dhaliwal said political parties were free to oppose the government on political issues, but alleged that religious faith should not be attacked or politicised. He said the Bhagwant Mann-led government’s objective was to provide facilities to poor, elderly and ordinary people while respecting their religious sentiments.
He added that the people of Punjab were watching the political debate and would respond to such remarks.
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