On religious freedom, people of state agree with Rahul: Cong

Accusing the BJP of twisting remarks made by Rahul Gandhi during a recent interaction in Washington, Lok Sabha member and former Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi said the concern expressed by Rahul Gandhi about threat to religious freedom in India has struck a chord with Sikh and non-Sikh residents of Punjab.

Rahul playing into hands of deep state

Bajwa and Channi today tried to cover up for their master’s remarks knowing very well that Rahul has insulted the Sikhs world over. He is playing into the hands of the deep state. Tarun Chugh, BJP national general secretary

The BJP resented this and tried to corner Rahul Gandhi by twisting his comment, Channi said and warned the BJP against playing with the religious sentiments of the Sikhs.

Addressing a press conference at the AICC headquarters here today, Channi and Leader of Opposition in Punjab Vidhan Sabha, Partap Singh Bajwa, also demanded registration of FIR against Delhi BJP leader Tarvinder Singh Marwah for threatening Rahul that he too would be assassinated like his grandmother PM Indira Gandhi. The two Congress leaders asked whether Marwah was speaking for the entire BJP leadership.

Criticising BJP leaders, including Hardeep Singh Puri, Iqbal Singh Lalpura and Ravneet Singh Bittu, for going out of their way to target Rahul, Bajwa said that people of Punjab fully agreed with what he (Rahul Gandhi) said.

Responding to a question, Channi said BJP leader LK Advani had admitted in his book that Operation Bluestar was launched as a result of pressure built up by the BJP on the Congress government, then in power at the Centre, demanding strong action against the Punjab militants. Highlighting religious intolerance Sikhs had to endure during the BJP regime, Bajwa said recently, four farm leaders were stopped at IGI airport and barred from boarding a Delhi-Tamil Nadu flight due to the short kirpans they were carrying.