Former Punjab Assembly Speaker KP Rana, while addressing a press conference at Ropar along with former minister Randeep Singh Nabha, said that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s proposed rally at Sangrur would prove to be a turning point for the party ahead of the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections. The rally would galvanise Congress workers across the state and strengthen its campaign against the ruling AAP government, he said.Addressing a press conference in Ropar, Rana said the rally would provide an opportunity for Congress to highlight the alleged failures of the state government, particularly on the law and order situation and the growing menace of drugs in Punjab.Citing the recent murder of Jhota, who allegedly lost his life while fighting against drugs, Rana said that the case had exposed the collapse of law and order in the state. He alleged that the police and drug enforcement authorities had failed to act on Jhota’s complaint against a person allegedly involved in the sale of psychotropic substances.Rana further alleged that the authorities had failed to intervene when Jhota created a ruckus at the chemist’s shop, a confrontation that ultimately resulted in his murder in broad daylight.“The entire episode shows that law and order has collapsed in Punjab and people are being pushed towards taking the law into their own hands,” Rana said.He also criticised the government’s subsequent demolition of the house belonging to the person accused of killing Jhota. Rana alleged that the action was an attempt by the government to deflect attention from its failure to act against the illegal sale of drugs.Accusing the government of playing to the gallery, he said established legal procedures appeared to have been set aside in the aftermath of the incident. He maintained that the developments surrounding the case raised serious questions about the functioning of constitutional institutions and the rule of law in the state.Rana said the Congress would use Rahul Gandhi’s Sangrur rally to expose the government’s failures on law and order, drug enforcement and public safety. He asserted that the party would raise these issues forcefully as the state moves towards the next Assembly elections.Claiming that the Congress was united under Rahul Gandhi’s leadership, Rana dismissed suggestions of disunity within the party and expressed confidence that it would return to power in Punjab in 2027.He said the rally would send a strong political message across Punjab and help mobilise the party cadre for the electoral battle ahead. Rana said that the Congress would seek to turn public concerns over drugs, crime and governance into a central part of its campaign against the AAP government.