Congress Shocker: Channi Backs Separatist Amritpal Singh, Says '20L People Chose Him'

New Delhi:  Congress leader and former Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi stoked a massive controversy by openly supporting Amritpal Singh, who is lodged in Assam's Dibrugarh district under the National Security Act (NSA). Speaking in Lok Sabha, Channi said, “20 lakh Indians have chosen Amritpal in power and the Centre is curbing his freedom of speech by putting him behind bars under NSA... This too is an emergency”.  The Former Punjab CM made the statement referring to Amritpal's win in the recently concluded Lok Sabha Elections. For the unversed, Amritpal Singh, who contested the 2024 Lok Sabha elections as an independent, had secured a victory in the Khadoor Sahib constituency. He defeated the Congress candidate, Kulbir Singh Zira, with a significant margin of 197,120 votes.    

What Did Channi Say? 

 “They speak about Emergency every day. But what about the undeclared Emergency in the country today?...This too is an 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", said Channi. 

Defending Channi over his controversial remarks, Punjab Congress chief & MP Amarinder Singh Raja Warring said, "I have not heard the complete statement but I would like to say that due facilities as per the Constitution should be provided to every elected individual (MP) - be it me, or Amritpal or anyone else. Nobody has the right to violate laws - be it anybody. So, I have been saying from the first day that there should be no injustice to anyone as per the Constitution - be it anyone."

BJP Lambasts Channi   

Reacting strongly to Channi's statement, BJP MP Ravneet Singh Bittu, who had a heated exchange with the former Punjab chief minister in the Lok Sabha, said Channi was behaving like a ‘traitor’.  "A former CM is behaving like a traitor and is misleading the entire country through the House. He said that the NSA has been slapped on farmers. But who has it been slapped on - on those who wanted to break the country and Punjab? He said that the NSA has been invoked against farmers and this is incorrect. An ex-CM has spoken about breaking the country and Punjab. Congress and Rahul Gandhi were sitting before him and making him say it. When we told him to bring evidence to the Floor of the House, he went on backfoot and had no reply. Congress party and the entire INDI Alliance are ashamed due to him," Bittu said.

BJP national spokesperson RP Singh said, "It's the Congress' DNA that is coming out. It was Congress who raised Bhindranwale and divided Punjab through him and won elections later. Today, they are standing with Amritpal... Since the election is going to be held in Punjab in 2027 and he (Charanjit Singh Channi) knows that they are going to lose the elections and hence they are supporting someone who tries to divide the nation. But what else he can do, this is his party line. Rahul Gandhi says that India is a Union of States, and Amritpal says the same thing, it shows a kind of collaboration between them. Mallikarjun Kharge and his party must clarify if their party is standing with someone who is trying to divide the country..."

Echoing similar remarks, BJP MP Dinesh Sharma stated, "...A sense of terrorist-sympathiser has awoken inside Channi. He has the blessings of Congress. This is his desire for foreign funds, especially from Canada, given for terrorist activities...Action should be taken."

Union Minister Chirag Paswan also slammed the former Punjab CM, saying,"the person about whom he (Charanjit Singh Channi) was talking about, no one can support that idea. He has won and now into the House, he has the right to speak but if anyone goes against the interest of the country, this govt won't keep quiet."

About Amritpal Singh

Amritpal Singh, who heads the 'Waris Punjab De' outfit styled himself after Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, was arrested in Moga’s Rode village on April 23 last year following an over a month-long manhunt. The Khalistan sympathizer had escaped the police net in Jalandhar district on March 18, switching vehicles and changing appearances.

The Punjab Police had launched the crackdown after the February 23 Ajnala incident last year in which Amritpal Singh and his supporters, some of them brandishing swords and guns, broke through barricades and barged into the police station on the outskirts of Amritsar city, and clashed with police for the release of Lovepreet Singh Toofan, one of his aides.

He and his associates were booked under several criminal cases related to spreading disharmony among classes, attempting to murder, attacking police personnel and creating obstructions in the lawful discharge of duty by public servants.