On Saturday (25th May), Congress candidate from Jalandhar and Former Punjab CM Charanjit Singh Channi courted a fresh controversy while addressing a press conference at his residence in Jalandhar. He said that if Congress comes to power at the Centre, they will open the India-Pakistan border. The development comes days after he received a warning from the Election Commission of India for his objectionable remarks made earlier this month.
Speaking with reporters on Saturday, Channi said, “After our government is formed at the national level, we will open Punjab’s Wagah Border. This will allow people from Pakistan to come to Punjab for medical treatment. This will promote medical tourism in Jalandhar.” During the press conference, he also claimed that PM Modi’s rally in Jalandhar, Punjab, was a flop show.
Notably, over the last decade, India has followed a consistent policy that terror and talks can’t continue, that is, Pakistan would have to put an end to terrorism to resume bilateral discussions with India. Incidentally, it was Pakistan that suspended bilateral imports of essential items like medicines from India after New Delhi abrogated Article 370 in August 2019.
Congress will start sending messages of friendship to Pakistan if they form government at the national level: PM Modi
It is pertinent to note that a day earlier, PM Modi held a rally in Punjab’s Gurdaspur and Jalandhar. Addressing the election rallies, PM Modi launched a scathing attack on the Congress party and charged it with “speaking the language of Pakistan”. He asserted that Congress will start sending messages of friendship with Pakistan which has been notorious for sponsoring terrorism against India. PM Modi added that several Congress leaders have been making the atmosphere for the same.
Slamming the I.N.D.I. alliance and its strategy concerning National Security, PM Modi said, “These I.N.D.I. alliance people are a great danger to the security of the country. They are talking about reintroducing Article 370 in Kashmir. They want terrorism back in Kashmir. They want to hand over Kashmir to separatists again. They will send messages of friendship to Pakistan again. They will send roses to Pakistan. Pakistan will carry out bomb blasts.”
He added, “There will be terrorist attacks on the country. Congress will say, we have to talk no matter what. For this, Congress has already started creating an atmosphere. Their leaders are saying, Pakistan has an atomic bomb. Their people are saying, we’ll have to live in fear of Pakistan. These I.N.D.I. alliance people are speaking Pakistan’s language.”
Incidentally, several Pakistani individuals including Former Minister in Imran Khan’s cabinet, Fawad Chaudhry had earlier made tweets in support of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.
Responding to the same, PM Modi said, “The interesting thing is that Congress is dying here and Pakistan is crying. You must have heard that now Pakistani leaders are praying for Congress. Pakistan is eager to make ‘Shehzada’ (Rahul Gandhi) prime minister. You must have seen it yesterday. We already know that Congress likes Pakistan. The alliance between the two has been completely exposed,” in an election rally in Gujarat’s Anand on 2nd May.
ECI warns Former Punjab CM over his remarks on Poonch terror attack describing it as ‘Stuntbaazi’
Meanwhile, the recent controversial remarks by Former Punjab CM Chani come two days after the Election Commission of India issued him a stern warning for violating the Model Code of Conduct. An official of the poll body said that the Election Commission has issued a strict warning to the Congress candidate from Jalandhar Charanjit Singh Channi for violating the Model Code of Conduct.
The EC advised and warned Channi against repeating such violations in the future and emphasised the importance of adhering to the MCC guidelines in letter and spirit, the spokesperson of the poll body said.
The warning came after the commission found his response “unsatisfactory” and deemed his earlier remarks a violation of the MCC clause which provides – “Criticism of other political parties, when made, shall be confined to their policies and programme, record and work… Criticism of other parties or their workers based on unverified allegations or distortion shall be avoided.”
The development pertains to his remarks made on 5th May when he alleged that the recent terror attack on an Indian Air Force (IAF) convoy was a “Stuntbazi” by the BJP. Claiming that these were not terror attacks, the Congress leader had described it as “Stuntbaazi” alleging that the BJP orchestrated such incidents to sway elections. He further alleged that such attacks are premeditated and executed to bolster the electoral prospects of the BJP.
