Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini on Friday backed the remark made by Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, about Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, calling it “absolutely true”. Addressing a press conference at Haryana Niwas in Chandigarh on Friday, 6 November 2026, Saini said, “He is completely right about that. Rahul Gandhi and Mann Sahab used to sit together (in Lok Sabha) as they were part of the INDI alliance.”
Rahul Gandhi made the remark on Wednesday while addressing the Congress’s Insaaf Rally at Phaguwala village in Mann’s home district of Sangrur. Recalling their days together in Parliament, Gandhi said Mann used to sit with the Congress members in the Lok Sabha and joke around, and that by 11 in the morning one could smell alcohol on his breath. Gandhi said drinking may be a personal matter, but questioned how a Chief Minister who is under the influence could fight the drug menace in Punjab, and accused the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government of failing to keep its promise of eradicating drugs, gangster violence and corruption from the state. He also questioned the AAP government’s commitment to tackling substance abuse and alleged that the state was being governed from Delhi.
Saini went on to describe an incident from their Lok Sabha days, saying the Member of Parliament from Chandigarh, Kirron Kher, had stood up during a session and asked for her seat to be changed. The Chief Minister’s remarks came at the same press conference at Haryana Niwas in Chandigarh where he alleged that the AAP government in Punjab had diverted the Rs 1,600 crore flood relief corpus announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and challenged Rahul Gandhi to hold his proposed debate with the Prime Minister in Haryana.
The AAP reacted sharply to Rahul Gandhi’s remarks. The party’s Delhi unit president, Saurabh Bhardwaj, described the comments as “low-level politics” and “below the belt”, and said such personal remarks were unbecoming of a senior leader. Mann served as the Lok Sabha Member of Parliament from Sangrur from May 2014 to March 2022, before becoming Punjab’s Chief Minister. The exchange has added a fresh personal edge to the political confrontation in Punjab ahead of the 2027 assembly elections, where the Congress and the AAP — partners in the opposition INDI alliance at the national level — are now ranged against each other, while the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has stepped up its own attack on the Mann government over drugs, floods and farmer payments.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What did CM Saini say about Rahul Gandhi’s remark on Bhagwant Mann?
A: That it is “absolutely true” — he said Rahul Gandhi is “completely right about that”.
Q: What did Rahul Gandhi say about Bhagwant Mann?
A: At the Sangrur Insaaf Rally on 4 November, he said Mann’s breath smelled of alcohol by 11 am during their Lok Sabha days, and questioned how a Chief Minister under the influence could fight Punjab’s drug menace.
Q: How did the AAP respond?
A: AAP’s Delhi president Saurabh Bhardwaj called the remarks “low-level politics” and “below the belt”.
Next Action: Also read CM Saini’s allegation on Punjab flood relief funds
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