Punjab: Praise for Channi from Amritpal Singh’s father raises eyebrows in Congress
Earlier, Amritpal's father had backed former Chief Minister after Channi raised the issue of injustice to Amritpal in the Lok Sabha
Praise for former Punjab Chief Minister and Congress leader Charanjit Singh Channi by Tarsem Singh, father of jailed Khadoor Sahib MP Amritpal Singh, over his raising of Sikh issues has sparked unease within the Congress.
What has drawn particular attention is that Channi himself has shared on his social media handles a video in which Tarsem Singh praised him for raising issues concerning the Sikh community.
Tarsem Singh is serving as the acting president of Akali Dal Waris Punjab De.
The latest praise comes days after Channi launched a sharp attack on party colleagues who had eulogised 1984 anti-Sikh riots convict Sajjan Kumar. Channi described Kumar as a “murderer of Sikhs and a traitor to humanity” and said he deserved public execution rather than sympathy.
A senior Congress leader, who did not wish to be quoted, said Channi was also foraying in to panthic politics, an area the party has traditionally kept away from.
The leader said it is being seen as a move by Channi to win over support of the hardliners who are set to play a crucial role in the coming Punjab Assembly elections.
This is not the first time Tarsem Singh has praised Channi. Earlier, he had backed the former Chief Minister after Channi raised the issue of injustice to Amritpal in the Lok Sabha.
The Congress had then distanced itself from Channi's remarks. Congress spokesperson Jairam Ramesh had clarified that Channi's statement did not reflect the official position of the party.
