‘Keeping Amritpal Singh in custody is also an emergency’: Charanjit Channi in Lok Sabha

Charanjit Channi

A statement that could potentially snowball into a major controversy, former Punjab chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi today likened Khalistani sympathizer Amritpal Singh’s confinement to jail to an emergency like situation.

The former Punjab CM added that the fact that he is an elected representative, Centre should respect the mandate of the people and allow the jailed sympathizer to attend the parliament.

Batting for Amritpal Singh, Channi said, "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 (Parliament). This too is Emergency."

Having fought the 2024 Lok Sabha elections as an independent, Amritpal Singh won from the Khadoor Sahib seat defeating Congress candidate Kulbir Singh Zira. He won by a margin of 1,97,120 votes.

This led to a war of words between Ravneet Singh Bittu, who recently quit the Congress to join the BJP, and Channi. Bittu, the Minister of State for Railways and Food Processing Industries, countered by making certain personal remarks against Channi and former Congress president Sonia Gandhi, triggering an uproar.

Bittu criticised Channi for his statement regarding the imposition of NSA on farmers. He remarked that such language was unbecoming of a former Chief Minister, as it equated farmers with traitors and could mislead both the nation and the international community.

Channi referred to the assasination of Bittu’s grandfather, former Punjab chief minister Beant Singh. This led to a war of words between Bittu, who recently quit the Congress to join the BJP, and Channi. BJP member Sandhya Ray, who was in the chair, adjourned the proceedings for 30 minutes till 2 pm.