Former Punjab Chief Minister and Congress MP from Jalandhar Charanjit Singh Channi on Thursday caused a huge embarrassment for his party, when he came out in support of pro-Khalistan Sikh preacher Amritpal Singh, who is presently in Assam's Dibrugarh jail. Amritpal Singh was recently elected to Lok Sabha from Khadoor Sahib. Speaking on the Union Budget in Lok Sabha, Channi alleged that there was an "undeclared emergency" in the country. He did not name Amritpal Singh, but made clear mention about his election. Channi said, "They (BJP) speak about 1975 Emergency every day, but what about the undeclared emergency today? This too is Emergency, where a man who was elected MP by 20 lakh voters in Punjab is behind bars under National Security Act. He is unable to voice the views of the people of his constituency in this House. This is Emergency." Channi alleged that Amritpal Singh, head of ' Waris Punjab De', was not being allowed to come to Parliament and speak.
"This is a curb on his freedom of speech", he said. It may be mentioned here that Amritpal Singh was arrested under NSA on April 23 last year and kept in Dibrugarh jail along with some of his associates. He was raising a private militia called Anandpur Khalsa Fauj, with help from Pakistan's spy agency ISI, and was openly speaking in favour of Khalistan. In February last year, Amritpal Singh, with his supporters armed with automatic weapons, stormed the Ajnala police station injured several policemen and burnt police vehicles, forcing police to free his accomplice Loepreet Singh Toofan. In March last year, in a major crackdown, Amritpal's associates were arrested on charges of attempted murder and other serious crimes. Amritpal Singh, after going into hiding, was arrested after 35 days, and he was whisked to Dibrugarh jail. Amritpal Singh contested Lok Sabha elections from Khadoor Sahib, won and took oath as MP on July 5, under strict security. Since the court had granted him a brief parole, he was taken back to prison. On Thursday, Congress leaders were put in a tight spot after Channi raised Amritpal's detention issue.
In the evening, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh issued a terse statement on X saying, "The views expressed by Charanjit Singh Channi, MP, on Amritpal Singh are his own, and do not reflect in any way the position of the Indian National Congress." Channi also made an objectionable remark about former Punjab CM Beant Singh, who was assassinated by Khalistani terrorists in a suicide bombing in 1995. Seventeen persons, including 3 commandos, were killed in that blast. Beant Singh's grandson Ravneet Singh Bittu, who was in Congress joined BJP before the Lok Sabha elections, lost from Ludhiana and is now a Union Minister of State. Bittu was listening to Channi's speech, and a verbal duel began, when Channi made an objectionable remark about Beant Singh. Bittu responded by alleging that Channi was the"most corrupt leader of Punjab and has amassed several thousand crores worth properties." The proceedings of the House had to be adjourned. BJP strongly objected to Channi's remarks. Union Minister Giriraj Singh asked whether Congress leaders have forgotten that Indira Gandhi was assassinated by Khalistanis. Congress leader Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa said, what Channi said was his personal opinion. Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann demanded that the Congress party must clarify its position about Amritpal Singh. The moot question is, why a former chief minister like Channi supported a Khalistan supporter like Amritpal Singh? One must understand the margin of victory secured by Amritpal Singh. People of Punjab were surprised to find a Sikh youth returning from abroad and defeating his nearest Congress rival by a margin of nearly 2 lakh votes, while AAP and Akali candidates trailed in third and fourth positions.
The entire country watched on TV how Amritpal Singh with his associates, brandishing automatic rifles, attacked Ajnala police station. Seven cases under Arms Act were filed against him, and he was charged with sedition. Amritpal Singh was openly supported by pro-Khalistan outfits based in Canada, USA and UK. Because of his radical background, no mainstream political party is supporting Amritpal Singh, nor any party is questioning his detention. When Channi expressed sympathy for Amritpal Singh, leaders from different parties sitting inside the House were surprised. Charanjit Singh Channi was made the Chief Minister by Sonia Gandhi, after removing Capt Amarinder Singh. The Congress party lost badly in the assembly polls that took place when Channi was CM. Rahul Gandhi, instead of ignoring Channi, gave him the party ticket from Jalandhar to contest the LS polls. The question now is, whether Congress has changed its stand about Khalistan sympathizers. As a reporter, I have myself seen the mayhem created by terrorists during the Eighties in Punjab. How can Congress leaders forget that terrorists had killed Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and Chief Minister Beant Singh? Thousands of our men in the armed forces gave their supreme sacrifice while fighting terrorists. If anyone wants to take Punjab back to those dark days, the entire nation will stand as one to oppose him. I know Congress will never agree with what Channi spoke about Amritpal Singh. This can never by part of Congress party's ideology. It was Channi who had come to the House to lash out at the government on Thursday. He also made factual errors when he alleged that farmer leaders were arrested under NSA, but when his contention was challenged inside the House, he had no answer.
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