Channi's 'Emergency' Remark On Amritpal Singh In Lok Sabha Sparks Row, Congress Says 'Personal View'

Congress lawmaker and former Punjab chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi on Thursday triggered a controversy after he equated Khalistani separatist and independent MP Amritpal Singh being behind bars with an Emergency-like situation.

Speaking in the Lok Sabha during a discussion on the union budget, Channi slammed the NDA-led Centre and said that the Waris Punjab De chief, elected by around 20 lakh people from Punjab’s Khadoor Sahib Lok Sabha seat, can’t present the views of his constituency as he has been lodged in jail.

“They speak about Emergency every day. But what about the undeclared Emergency in the country today?…This too is Emergency that a man who was elected as an MP by 20 lakh people in Punjab is behind bars under the NSA. He is unable to present the views of the people of his constituency, here. This too is Emergency,” he said.

The BJP slammed the Congress MP for endorsing a separatist leader.

BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla demanded an explanation from Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on why the party “always bats for separatists and terrorists”.

Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said that the views expressed by Charanjit Singh Channi on Amritpal Singh are his own, and “do not reflect in any way the position of the Indian National Congress”.

Party leader Digvijay Singh, however, defended Channi over his remarks saying “He would have thought about whatever he said before saying it”.

“On Channi’s statement, I would only say that Indira Gandhi’s assassin was a Khalistani and Congress is supporting a Khalistani. Waah re Congress, jai Channi. This is an attack on India’s sovereignty. Action should be taken on this…Congress ka haath, Khalistanion ke saath,” union minister and BJP MP Giriraj Singh said to ANI.

Amritpal emerged victorious from the Khadoor Sahib seat, defeating Congress candidate Kulbir Singh Zira by a margin of 1,97,120 votes in the recent Lok Sabha elections. Amritpal, who is facing charges under the National Security Act (NSA), was arrested by Punjab police from Moga on April 23 last year. He is currently lodged in Assam’s Dibrugarh jail.

Earlier on Thursday, a verbal spat took place between Channi and union minister Ravneet Singh Bittu.

While speaking in the Lok Sabha, Channi referred to the assassination of Bittu’s grandfather, former Punjab chief minister Beant Singh. “Your late grandfather was a martyr but he actually died the day you joined the BJP,” Channi said while taking a dig at Bittu. Former CM Beant Singh was assassinated in a suicide bomb attack at the secretariat complex in Chandigarh on August 31, 1995.

Channi further insinuated that there was no difference between the British Raj and the present Modi government “except the skin colour”. He took further potshots at the government over its “dictatorial attitude”.

An irate Bittu stood up to speak, saying he must answer his former party colleague. “I have to respond because he took the name of my grandfather. My grandfather did not lay down his life for a party but for the country,” he said.

Bittu went on to say that he would change his name if Channi could prove that he was poor. He alleged that the Congress MP has the most powerful resources and most money in Punjab to date.

BJP MP Sandhya Ray, who was in the chair, adjourned the proceedings for 30 minutes till 2 pm.

Ravneet Singh Bittu, the minister of state for railways and food processing industries, recently quit the Congress and joined the BJP. He contested on a BJP ticket from the Ludhiana Lok Sabha seat but lost to Congress’s Amrinder Singh Raja Warring.

(With inputs from agencies)