'You cannot protect me in India?' Rahul Gandhi tells Punjab Police on being stopped from visiting flood-hit border village
The Congress party on Monday accused the Punjab Police of preventing Rahul Gandhi, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, from meeting flood-affected families in Toor village, located across the Ravi River in Gurdaspur district.
Gandhi, who was touring flood-hit areas of Amritsar and Gurdaspur, interacted with villagers in Ghonewal (Amritsar) and Gurchak (Gurdaspur). But when he attempted to cross into Toor, local police officials reportedly stopped him, citing security concerns.
बाढ़ ने पंजाब में भीषण तबाही मचाई है।
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) September 15, 2025
आज घोनेवाल में गांववासियों से मिला - उजड़े आशियाने, बर्बाद खेत, बिखरी ज़िंदगियां। दर्द आंखों में साफ दिखता है, मगर हौसला अटूट है।
राज्य और केंद्र सरकार दोनों हर हाल में ये सुनिश्चित करें कि राहत पैकेज और मुआवज़ा बिना देरी पीड़ितों के हाथों… pic.twitter.com/f1nUxJ945S
In a video from the spot, Gandhi was seen questioning the officers: “You are telling me that you cannot keep me safe on Indian territory. That is what you are saying?”
The officer responded, “We are always ready to protect you.”
Gandhi countered, “But you are saying that is India (pointing across the river) and you cannot protect me in India? Is it not India?”
Sad and unfortunate that @HMOIndia in collusion with @AAPPunjab government in Punjab scuttled @RahulGandhi Ji’s visit to the isolated villages like ‘Toor’, which are still cut off from the mainland and can be reached out only through boats.
— Amarinder Singh Raja Warring (@RajaBrar_INC) September 15, 2025
These villages remain cut off even… https://t.co/tZWrccqX4U
Punjab Congress chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring and MP Sukhjinder Randhawa accompanied Gandhi during the exchange.
Later, former Punjab CM Charanjit Singh Channi also criticised the government, saying, “Our own people live there. Rahul Gandhi only wanted to enquire about their well-being. For the past three days, we have been running a medical camp there. Stopping him was unfortunate.”
Senior Congress leader Partap Singh Bajwa lashed out at the AAP-led state government, terming the move “shameful and insensitive.”
He alleged the decision was “political, not security-driven”, and accused both AAP and BJP leaders of failing to visit the flood-ravaged border villages.
Warring added, “If Rahul Gandhi has a threat from Pakistan in India, and we are not safe in India, then where are we safe?”
The Punjab Police and AAP government have not yet issued a detailed response to the accusations.
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