Punjab Former CM Channi Appears Before Vigilance Bureau, Accuses AAP Government of ‘Vendetta Politics’

GG News Bureau

Chandigarh, 14th April. Former Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi appeared in front of the Vigilance Bureau on Friday in connection with a disproportionate assets case.

Before entering the bureau’s Mohali office at 11.10 a.m., the Congress leader slammed the state’s AAP government for advancing his date of appearance and accused Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s regime of engaging in “vendetta politics.”

The vigilance bureau initially requested that Channi appear for questioning on April 12. He did, however, request another date to participate in the investigation, which the bureau granted, asking him to appear on April 20. The bureau later moved the date to Friday.

When asked if he had been questioned about the matter before entering the bureau’s office, Channi said, “The probe is totally political. Let them do what they want.”

Before arriving at the bureau’s office, Channi launched a scathing attack on the state’s AAP government, saying he may be tortured, arrested, or even killed, but he is prepared to face it.

Earlier, while campaigning for the bypoll to the vacant Lok Sabha seat in Jalandhar, Channi had attacked the AAP government on several issues, claiming that it had failed to meet the Dalit community’s expectations.

Channi accompanied Congress candidate Karamjit Kaur Chaudhary as she filed her nomination papers for the Lok Sabha bypoll on Thursday.

Channi stated to the media on Friday, “I held a press conference (in Jalandhar) where I raised some issues. And when someone speaks the truth, the one who is a liar feels the pinch — that is what has happened with the AAP government.” The former chief minister was flanked by senior party leaders, including the Congress’ Punjab unit chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring, Harish Chaudhary and Partap Singh Bajwa. He also slammed the AAP government over his date of appearance date being advanced and alleged it was part of the dispensation’s “vendetta politics”.

“They summoned me on a public holiday when offices are shut. For torturing Channi, the offices have been specially opened and the day they have chosen is (the day) of Baisakhi and Dr BR Ambedkar’s birth anniversary,” he said.

Channi said, “They may arrest me, beat me, torture me and send me to jail, do whatever you want. They can send me behind bars today, too. They can even kill me but I am prepared.” “Today is the day of Dr Ambedkar sahib, who taught us to struggle… Since my childhood, I have been habituated to struggles,” Channi said.

The Congress leader also stated that he will not back down from speaking out for the poor.

Channi also chastised Mann, who had previously chastised Giani Harpreet Singh, the Akal Takht jathedar, for “provoking” people by issuing an ultimatum to the AAP government to release all Sikh youths detained during the police action against radical preacher Amritpal Singh.

“What the CM said against the Akal Takht jathedar, when I spoke against this and raised some questions, they (government) felt how could I raise (such) questions?” said Channi.

He said he wanted to ask Mann, “How did you speak against the jathedar of our (Sikh) community… the CM has so far not apologised before the Akal Takht jathedar.” Channi said he also raised the sacrilege issue and demanded justice.

“Amarinder Singh was our chief minister, we had nothing personal against him but we changed our government on these issues. We proceeded on the sacrilege issue later,” he said.

“I raised some issues of the Dalit community, I talked about the farmers and other matters,” he said and claimed that the government did not like the questions he raised.

The Vigilance Bureau is looking into allegations that Channi amassed assets that were disproportionate to his known source of income. The bureau issued a lookout circular against the former chief minister last month.

After spending several months in the United States and Canada, he returned to India at the end of last year.

Channi, the Congress’ chief ministerial candidate in the 2022 assembly elections, left the country shortly after his party’s defeat.

He ran unsuccessfully in both the Chamkaur Sahib and Bhadaur assembly constituencies.

Channi succeeded Amarinder Singh as chief minister in September 2021, following the latter’s unceremonious resignation.