Congress holds mega rally in Barnala

Chandigarh: Addressing a massive Kisan-Mazdoor rally in Punjab’s Barnala, on February 28, 2026 Congress President Shri Mallikarjun Kharge launched a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, labelling him ‘Surrender Modi’ for allegedly bowing down to US President Donald Trump. Congress President accused the Prime Minister of compromising national interests and the country sovereignty by following international dictates, asserting that the Prime Minister actions are leading the nation toward a new form of subservience. Kisan Mazdoor Rally was organised to protest against the Indo-US trade deal and for restoring the MGNREGA in its original form.

He said, “When Punjab is safe, the country is safe”. He called upon farmers and workers to once again unite and launch a decisive struggle to safeguard their rights, saying that recent policy decisions of the Central government threaten the livelihoods of cultivators, labourers and small businesses across the country.

Criticising the recent India–US trade deal, Congress President Shri Mallikarjun Kharge said that the Centre had “surrendered” national interests before the US President Donald Trump and opened Indian markets to American agricultural products. The Congress President said that the agreement would adversely impact farmers, traders, MSMEs and sectors such as textiles, leather, plastics and machinery.

He further claimed that the Prime Minister speaks of icons like Bhagat Singh and Dr. B.R. Ambedkar only for political optics while his administration actions remain contrary to their fundamental principles.

The Congress President expressed his solidarity with the farmers and labourers of Punjab, drawing parallels between the current struggle and the historic movement against the three controversial farm laws. He warned that the Punjabi electorate must fight a battle on two fronts: against the BJP-led union government at the Centre and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in the state, which he characterised as the “B-team” of the BJP.

Congress President Shri Mallikarjun Kharge expressed serious concern over the law-and-order situation in Punjab while referring to rising incidents of extortion threats, drug trafficking and arms smuggling along the border. He called Aam Aadmi Party the ‘B’ team of BJP and questioned inaction on the part of both state and Central governments against drugs network and also smuggling of drugs. He emphasised that 50 km Pakistan border in the state comes under the control of Union Home Ministry. He accused the Centre of weakening MGNREGA and said that employment opportunities under the scheme have declined in Punjab, affecting lakhs of workers.

Shri Mallikarjun Kharge criticised the state administration for its alleged silence on deteriorating law and order, citing rising incidents of violence and crime against women despite the state’s legacy of social justice.

Focusing on economic and agrarian issues, Shri Mallikarjun Kharge condemned the recently inked Indo-American trade agreement, claiming it would severely disadvantage Indian farmers. He emphasised that from 1947 until the end of Dr. Manmohan Singh tenure, India maintained a firm stance on international trade pressures that the current regime has allegedly abandoned. The veteran leader also accused the state government of failing to protect the Right to Work laws established by previous Congress administrations, further burdening the working class. Accompanied by the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Shri Rahul Gandhi, Congress President Shri Mallikarjun Kharge urged the people of Punjab to support the Congress leadership to safeguard the Constitution and Democracy. He hailed Rahul Gandhi as a leader who fulfils his promises and stands firmly with Dalits, farmers, and the common public.

Invoking the revolutionary spirit of Sardar Ajit Singh and Shaheed-e-Azam Bhagat Singh, Congress President called for a united front to protect the nation’s land, forests, and democratic values from being sold to private interests.

Prime Minister compromising the country’s interests by handing over the ‘data’ resource and ‘energy security’ to the U.S.: Leader of Opposition Shri Rahul Gandhi

While addressing the Mazdoor Kisan Maha Rally on February 28, 2026 in Punjab’s Barnala, organised to protest the Centre’s decision to replace the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) and the signing of a trade deal with the United States. Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Shri Rahul Gandhi also accused the Prime Minister of compromising the country’s interests by handing over the ‘data’ resource and ‘energy security’ to the U.S. Speaking on the occasion, Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Shri Rahul Gandhi lashed out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his meek surrender before US President Donald Trump over the fear of getting exposed through Epstein files and the case against Gautam Adani in US. He noted that agriculture is the foundation of a country’s economy and no Prime Minister ever, irrespective of which party he or she belonged to, allowed the agriculture market to be opened for foreigners. He said that even Modi did not want to open it but was made to surrender using the Epstein and Adani sticks. Shri Rahul Gandhi disclosed that there were 35 lakh more Epstein files yet to be released, which contain Modi’s name. He said that Hardeep Puri and Anil Ambani’s names were only mentioned to threaten Modi into surrender, which he did and signed the death warrant of the farmers and the medium and small-scale industries.

Giving details and providing a background as to how the deal was signed, the Leader of Opposition Shri Rahul Gandhi disclosed that nothing moved for four months on the Indo-US trade deal as the Government of India did not want to open the agriculture market to US companies. “Why did the Prime Minister accomplish in just 15 minutes what he had left unaddressed for four months? What was the pressure under which he signed a death warrant for our country, our farmers, our small and medium scale industries and gave away our data?”

He said that eventually, Modi was forced to agree to the deal because of the Epstein files and Adani case. Referring to Modi’s fear regarding Adani’s case in the US, he said that the BJP during the last 10-15 years has put the entire financial system into Adani’s company. “Adani is a special purpose vehicle of the BJP”, he remarked, adding, “whatever money is made goes to Adani. That money is used in politics through thousands of shell companies”. The Americans have filed a criminal case and held Modi by his neck and choked his breath, he added.

Maintaining that this amounted to signing the “death warrant” for the country’s farmers, Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha pointed out that now US soybean, pulses, cotton, fruits, almonds, walnuts and everything else will come from the US and destroy Indian farmers. He said that American farmers have huge land holdings worth hundreds and thousands of acres while our farmers have small land holdings. He said that our farmers cannot compete with American farmers and Modi had put them in an unfair and unequal competition, and eventually they will be ruined.

He said that not only did Modi open the agriculture market to the Americans, he handed over to them the huge data we possess. He said that India possesses the largest data in the world and the US cannot compete with China without our data, which Modi meekly handed over to Trump. Emphasising the importance of data, he said - what oil was to the twentieth century, data is to the twenty-first century. “Modi handing over data to the US is like Saudi Arabia handing over its oil to the US”, he remarked.

He also pointed out that Modi has given a guarantee to Trump that every year, India will buy Rs. 9 lakh crore worth of products from the US. “Imagine what will happen to our small scale and medium scale industry?” he asked, while adding, “our small and medium industry, which is the foundation of Punjab’s economy along with agriculture, will be destroyed”. He also said that Modi has surrendered the country’s energy security to the US by submitting to US diktats of not buying oil from Russia and Iran. “What did India get in return?” he asked.

In a special message to the people of Punjab, Leader of Opposition Shri Rahul Gandhi said, “Punjab is our strength. I see India’s power and foundation here. You are our saviours and our protectors and we love you”, he told tens of thousands of people amidst cheers and applause.

“Don’t forget I love the people of Punjab. Politics aside, your future, farmers’ future, youth’s future has to be brightened. Punjab has to be made successful,” he asserted.

Emphasising the importance of Party workers, Shri Rahul Gandhi said that the workers were the Party’s greatest strength. “Our real strength is our workers. Whatever happens in Punjab will be by taking them along,” he added.

The rally was attended by Congress President Shri Mallikarjun Kharge, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Shri Rahul Gandhi, AICC General Secretary (Organisation) Shri KC Venugopal, General Secretary in-charge of Punjab and former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Shri Bhupesh Baghel, Punjab Congress President Shri Amarinder Singh Raja Warring, CLP Leader Shri Partap Singh Bajwa, former Chief Ministers Shri Charanjit Singh Channi and Ms Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, former Deputy CM Shri Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, Shri Vijay Inder Singla and other senior leaders.