A 27-year-old wrestler was shot dead outside his home in Punjab’s Kapurthala while bursting firecrackers during Diwali celebrations on Monday evening.

The victim was identified as Mani alias Pehlwan, a resident of Mohalla Mehtabgarh in Kapurthala. According to reports, the incident took place at around 7:30 pm when he was outside his house.

What happened in Kapurthala

According to the preliminary information, some unidentified youths reached the spot and opened fire. A bullet struck Mani in the chest, causing him to collapse.

His family members rushed him to Civil Hospital in Kapurthala, where doctors declared him dead on arrival.

Mani’s father, Bagga, said his son was a wrestler and had no known personal dispute or enmity with anyone. The family said he had been bursting firecrackers outside the house when the shooting took place.

Police probe underway

DSP Sheetal Singh and a police team reached the spot after receiving information about the shooting. Police are recording statements from the victim’s family and investigating the circumstances surrounding the killing.

The identities of the attackers and the motive behind the shooting had not been established in the initial reports.

The family said Mani had married a woman from Begowal a few months ago. He is survived by his parents and four sisters.

Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini has stepped up the political attack on Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann over an alleged drinking habit, days after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi made a similar allegation at a rally in Sangrur.

Saini appealed to people in Punjab to help Mann give up alcohol while referring to the state’s ongoing battle against drug abuse.

“Mann sahab ki daaroo chhurwao, tabhi nasha khatam ho sakta hai,” Saini said, according to the report. The remark translates to an appeal to help Mann quit drinking, linking the comment to the broader issue of addiction in Punjab.

Rahul Gandhi’s earlier allegation against Mann

The latest political exchange follows remarks made by Rahul Gandhi at a Congress rally in Sangrur on November 4.

Recalling his time in Parliament with Bhagwant Mann, Gandhi alleged that he could smell alcohol on Mann’s breath even at around 11 am. Gandhi, however, said that drinking was Mann’s personal matter.

Gandhi’s argument was that the issue becomes relevant because the Punjab government is expected to lead the fight against substance abuse.

Saini backs Rahul Gandhi’s remarks

Saini had earlier supported Gandhi’s comments, describing them as “absolutely true” and recalling that the two politicians had sat together in the Lok Sabha when they were part of the INDIA alliance.

His latest remarks have extended the political criticism of Mann, bringing the Haryana Chief Minister into the controversy surrounding the Punjab Chief Minister’s alleged drinking habit.

AAP calls remarks a personal attack

The Aam Aadmi Party has rejected the criticism directed at Mann and described Rahul Gandhi’s remarks as a “below-the-belt” personal attack.

AAP also accused the Congress and BJP of joining hands to target the Punjab Chief Minister.

The controversy comes ahead of the 2027 Punjab Assembly election and has added a personal dimension to the opposition’s wider criticism of the AAP government’s handling of drugs and law and order in the state.

It is important to note that the drinking-related statements in the political controversy are allegations made by political opponents and should not be presented as independently established facts.

Former Congress president Sonia Gandhi has described her interactions with Prime Minister Narendra Modi as extremely limited, saying they have had “practically no real contact” despite their long political rivalry.

In her memoir Belonging: A Journey of Love, released on Tuesday, Gandhi writes that she and Modi generally meet only at semi-official gatherings, including occasions when political leaders gather in the Speaker’s chamber.

She says their encounters are usually limited to a formal greeting.

According to Gandhi’s account, when Modi comes face-to-face with her, the two exchange a formal “namaste”. She then writes that he “tends to look away, avoiding eye contact”.

Sonia Gandhi describes ideological differences

Gandhi also says that her differences with Modi extend beyond their political rivalry and reflect contrasting ideas about India.

She writes that Modi was fighting for his vision of India, while she stood for an India based on inclusiveness, secularism and social justice. She described the differences as ideological rather than personal.

At the same time, Gandhi acknowledges aspects of Modi’s political journey that she says she could relate to. She writes that he had worked his way to power within the RSS from an underprivileged world.

What Sonia Gandhi says about their conversations

Gandhi says that apart from brief exchanges, she and Modi have not really conversed. She adds that they have exchanged formal birthday and New Year greetings over the years.

She also recalls occasions when Modi asked about her wellbeing after she returned from hospital, to which she responded politely.

The memoir also contains Gandhi’s broader reflections on Modi’s politics, the RSS and his criticism of former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru. These are presented as Gandhi’s own political views and interpretations in the book.

About Sonia Gandhi’s memoir

Belonging: A Journey of Love is Sonia Gandhi’s personal memoir, covering her life in Italy and the UK, her relationship with Rajiv Gandhi, her arrival in India and her decades in public life. It also discusses her relationship with former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and several major personal events in her life.