Balkaur Singh, father of Sidhu Moose Wala, to contest 2027 Punjab Assembly elections from Mansa
Chandigarh: Balkaur Singh, father of the late Punjabi singer and politician Sidhu Moose Wala, has announced his intention to contest the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections from the Mansa constituency.
Speaking at the Congress-led 'Samvidhan Bachao Rally' in Mansa, Singh declared that his decision was motivated by an unyielding quest for justice for his son, who was shot dead on May 29, 2022. The announcement comes just ahead of the third anniversary of Moose Wala’s assassination, which remains a source of public outrage and controversy.
"My son was the pride of Punjab. But even after nearly three years, justice remains elusive," Singh told reporters. "I will contest from Mansa in 2027 to strengthen this fight from within the system."
Singh has squarely blamed the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)-led Punjab government for the lack of progress in the investigation. He alleged that those responsible for his son's murder have been shielded by the administration and slammed the state government for the deteriorating law and order situation.
Particularly scathing in his remarks against Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, Singh questioned the failure to apprehend Goldy Brar, the alleged mastermind behind Moose Wala’s killing. "Murders are happening in broad daylight. What kind of justice system is this?" he asked, referring to the increasing frequency of violent crimes in the state.
The Mansa constituency, already symbolically charged due to Moose Wala's 2022 electoral bid under the Congress banner, is now back in the political spotlight. Though Moose Wala lost the 2022 election from Mansa, his father’s candidature is being seen as both an emotional and strategic move by the Congress.
Congress Punjab President Amarinder Singh Raja Warring extended full support to Singh, calling the decision a “courageous step” that reflects a family’s deep-rooted desire for justice and reform.
Public reactions to Singh’s announcement have been mixed. While many on social media hailed his resolve, others accused him of politicizing his son's legacy. Singh and his wife, Charan Kaur, who recently welcomed a child through IVF, remain active in public life.
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Cong takes swipe at PM over India not being part of US-led 'Pax Silica' grouping
New Delh (PTI) The Congress on Saturday said it is perhaps not very surprising that India is not part of a US-led strategic initiative to build a secure silicon supply chain, given the "sharp downturn" in the Trump-Modi ties, and asserted that it would have been to "our advantage if we had been part of this group".
Congress general secretary in charge of communications Jairam Ramesh took a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying the news of India not being part of the group comes after the PM had enthusiastically posted on social media about a telephone call with his "once-upon-a-time good friend and a recipient of many hugs in Ahmedabad, Houston, and Washington DC".
In a lengthy post on X, Ramesh said, "According to some news reports, the US has excluded India from a nine-nation initiative it has launched to reduce Chinese control on high-tech supply chains. The agreement is called Pax Silica, clearly as a counter to Pax Sinica. The nations included (for the moment at least) are the US, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Singapore, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Israel, the United Arab Emirates, and Australia."
"Given the sharp downturn in the Trump-Modi ties since May 10th, 2025, it is perhaps not very surprising that India has not been included. Undoubtedly, it would have been to our advantage if we had been part of this group."
"This news comes a day after the PM had enthusiastically posted on his telephone call with his once-upon-a-time good friend and a recipient of many hugs in Ahmedabad, Houston, and Washington DC," the Congress leader asserted.
The new US-led strategic initiative, rooted in deep cooperation with trusted allies, has been launched to build a secure and innovation-driven silicon supply chain.
According to the US State Department, the initiative called 'Pax Silica' aims to reduce coercive dependencies, protect the materials and capabilities foundational to artificial intelligence (AI), and ensure aligned nations can develop and deploy transformative technologies at scale.
The initiative includes Japan, South Korea, Singapore, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Israel, the United Arab Emirates, and Australia. With the exception of India, all other QUAD countries -- Japan, Australia and the US -- are part of the new initiative.
New Delhi will host the India-AI Impact Summit 2026 on February 19-20, focusing on the principles of 'People, Planet, and Progress'. The summit, announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the France AI Action Summit, will be the first-ever global AI summit hosted in the Global South.
Prime Minister Modi and US President Trump on Thursday discussed ways to sustain momentum in the bilateral economic partnership in a phone conversation amid signs of the two sides inching closer to firming up a much-awaited trade deal.
The phone call between the two leaders came on a day Indian and American negotiators concluded two-day talks on the proposed bilateral trade agreement that is expected to provide relief to India from the Trump administration's whopping 50 per cent tariffs on Indian goods.
In a social media post, Modi had described the conversation as "warm and engaging".
"We reviewed the progress in our bilateral relations and discussed regional and international developments. India and the US will continue to work together for global peace, stability and prosperity," Modi had said without making any reference to trade ties.
