The Congress party has said that the comments made by party MP Charanjit Singh Channi in support of Khalistani MP Amirtpal Singh are his own and he does not represent the party’s views. Congress General Secretary in-charge Communications Jairam Ramesh posted a tweet distancing the party from Channi’s comments.
“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,” Jairam Ramesh posted on X (Twitter).
This comes after the former Punjab CM Charanjit Singh Channi attacked the union govt in parliament for keeping Waris Punjab De chief and Khadoor Sahib Lok Sabha MP Amritpal Singh in jail. Channi alleged that there is “undeclared emergency” under the Modi govt and claimed that “free speech” of the Khalistani leader was being curbed.
Speaking during the debate on the Budget 2024, Charanjit Singh Channi said, “They (BJP) 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 alleged that there is an undeclared emergency in the nation while stating that Sidhu Moose Wala, one of the famous singers of the nation was killed and justice has not delivered to his family. Channi said, “Today in the country, a financial emergency-like condition is emerging and the BJP is responsible for that. They talk about the 1975 emergency but about today’s undeclared emergency in the country? It is also an emergency that Sidhu Moose Wala, one of the famous singers of the nation was killed and justice has not given to his family.”
Notably, while Channi blamed the NDA govt at centre for Amritpal Singh’s arrest, the fact is Singh was arrested by Punjab Police and the NSA has been slapped against him by the Punjab govt run by AAP. Last month, the AAP govt in Punjab extended detention of Amritpal Singh and his nine aides, currently lodged in Dibrugarh Jail in Assam, by a year under the stringent National Security Act (NSA).
The order was issued by Punjab government’s home affairs and justice department on 3rd June. Therefore, it is the Congress ally AAP govt which is keeping Amritpal Singh in jail, not the Modi govt at centre.
