Former Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi. (File photo: PTI)
The former chief minister kept a low profile but seems to have turned aggressive after the Punjab Vigilance Bureau issued summons against him.
Taking an aggressive stand on the summons issued by the Punjab Vigilance Bureau, former chief minister and senior Congress leader Charanjit Singh Channi hit out at the Bhagwant Mann government, claiming that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) was defaming him for misleading him. In the last one year, attention has been drawn by its failure on many fronts.
Channi was earlier summoned to appear before the Vigilance Bureau on Wednesday in the disproportionate assets case, but has now been given time till April 20 to appear before it on his request. Speaking exclusively to News18.com, Channi lambasted the AAP government, alleging that such summons were aimed at “harassing” the top Congress leadership.
“It is an attempt to defame the top leadership of the Congress. The present government is not able to match the work I have done during my tenure of 111 days as CM. That’s why they are threatening and defaming us with these steps.
Channi had kept a low profile but seems to have turned aggressive as soon as the summons was issued. “The charges are garbage. If they had something important, they would have taken action. But they have nothing. It’s just that they want to upset the senior leadership.”
Ahead of the May 10 Jalandhar Lok Sabha bypoll, the Congress has been trying to turn the summons against Channi into an election issue by favoring him even as allies alleged that the leader was “sidelined” by top party leaders.
Coming out in support of Channi, Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee chief Amarinder Raja Waring said that since AAP’s vote base was dwindling ahead of the Jalandhar elections, it was resorting to witch hunt. Apart from Channi, the Vigilance Bureau has issued notices to former ministers Brahm Mohindra and Vijay Inder Singla.
Citing “attempts to implicate Channi”, the Congress leader said the present government is anti-Dalit and is targeting the Dalit leadership of the party. To show against them and punish the Dalit population who did not vote for you is just satisfying your ego,” Waring said.
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