Channi’s ‘missing’ posters in city

Just in 10 months since he got elected as the MP from Jalandhar, Charanjit Channi’s political detractors have tarted putting up his ‘missing’ posters in the city.

NPS Dhillon, former general secretary of the BJP Punjab’s Yuva Morcha, got himself clicked while putting up posters in the localities of the Jalandhar Cantt Assembly segment. The reason given by him is, “Channi remains missing whenever anyone needs to meet him for getting grants or their works done. He is available only in the weekend. No one knows where he can meet him. He has not told people if he has any residence or office in Jalandhar where the public can meet him. He spends more time in his hometown Morinda, 126 km from here, than in Jalandhar which got him elected”.

Channi has snubbed his detractors saying, “People of Jalandhar won’t get carried away by any such posters. They know that I was in Jalandhar yesterday only. I will be in Jalandhar again tomorrow in my office inside the District Administrative Complex.

Dhillon’s move has drawn reactions from Channi’s supporters. Manoj Manu Warring, Channi’s aide, said, “It is wrong to say that Channi remains absent from here. He remained occupied in Delhi as the one-month Parliament session got over on April 4. He has been attending all religious functions in Jalandhar, including Ram Navmi and Eid. He had attended a meeting on review of the Centre schemes recently in the DC office. He has been issuing DO letters for all those who need to go to the PGI for treatment. He has been doling out grants for various works and social causes. He is approachable by anyone who makes a call to him and seeks appointment with him. It is just that a handful of BJP leaders are upset at his growing popularity”.

During the course of election, Channi had promised to the voters that he would put up a house here and stay close to the masses. All previous MPs, including Sushil Rinku, Chaudhary Santokh Singh, Mahinder Kaypee and Rana Gurjeet Singh, have stayed locally and were clearly more accessible to the public.