Prime Minister Narendra Modi on February 17 hit out at Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi over his controversial "UP, Bihar ke bhaiye" comment.
The Prime Minister, while addressing a rally in poll-bound Punjab, also targeted Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, for clapping while Channi made the comments.
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"The Congress Chief Minister made the statement yesterday. And the Delhi family, his 'boss' (Priyanka Gandhi) stood next to him clapping. The whole country watched this. Who are these people humiliating by their remarks? There won’t be any village here (Punjab) where our brothers and sisters from UP and Bihar do not work," PM Modi said at a rally in Punjab’s Fazilka, two days ahead of February 20 polls in the border state.
Channi stoked a political row after he was heard in a video saying “we will not allow bhaiye from UP and Bihar’ during a roadshow in Punjab on February 16. Channi made the comments, seen aimed at Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, while Priyanka Gandhi Vadra was standing next to him.
"Priyanka Gandhi is Punjab's daughter-in-law, she is the bahu of Punjabis. Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Delhi ke bhaiye cannot come here and rule. We will not allow UP bhaiyes to stray into Punjab," the Punjab Chief Minister was heard saying
Also, read : UP Election 2022 | Parties go full-throttle in battle for Bundelkhand
On February 17, Channi, however, said that his statement was being misconstrued.
"All migrant workers who came to Punjab till date, have toiled and taken it on path to development. We have only love for them, nobody can change it," the Punjab CM was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.
The PM said people of such divisive mentality should not be allowed to rule Punjab. "Where was Guru Govind Singh born? In Patna Sahib, in Bihar. Will you throw Guru Govind Singh out of Punjab?" the PM asked.
He also invoked Guru Ravidas, the Dalit saint whose birth anniversary on February 16 saw various political leaders, including Channi visiting his birthplace in Varanasi, to pay obeisance.
"Only yesterday we observed Sant Ravidas Jayanti. Where was he born? In Uttar Pradesh, in Varanasi. Will you remove Sant Ravidas from Punjab?" asked the PM.
Vadra also said Channi's statement was being misconstrued.
All that CM Charanjit Channi said was that Punjab should be run by Punjabis. His statement was misconstrued. I don't think anyone from UP is interested in coming to Punjab and ruling: Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra in Ludhiana, Punjab pic.twitter.com/HwsYtO2Mod— ANI (@ANI) February 17, 2022
"All that CM Charanjit Channi said was that Punjab should be run by Punjabis. His statement was misconstrued. I don't think anyone from UP is interested in coming to Punjab and ruling," she said.
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