Cracks appear in Punjab Congress over calls for Dalit representation in party by Channi

Chandigarh, Jan 19 (PTI) An internal discord in the Punjab Congress came to the fore after a video of former chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi surfaced on social media in which he could be heard seeking representation for Dalits in the party.

The Jalandhar MP, however, asserted he did not speak against any particular caste or community, and that he was a victim of malicious propaganda on social media.

While speaking during a meeting of the party's Scheduled Caste (SC) wing here on Saturday, Channi said, "In Punjab, if you accept that there is a population of 35-38 per cent (of Dalits), which is there, then why are we not getting representation." He also said, "Punjab (Congress) president is from upper caste, CLP leader is from upper caste, women wing of Punjab Congress from upper caste, Punjab (Congress) general secretary from upper caste? Where do we go? Where will these people go?" Channi, a prominent party leader from the Dalit community, was accompanied in the meeting by Rajendra Gautam, the chairman of the All India Congress Committee's SC department.

At present, the top posts in the Punjab Congress are held by Jat Sikh faces.

Punjab Congress president is Amrinder Singh Raja Warring, and the leader of the opposition is Partap Singh Bajwa.

The matter is likely to be taken up in a meeting called by the party high command of state party leaders on January 23, according to a source from the Congress.

Amid the developments, Punjab BJP leader Kewal Singh Dhillon on Monday asked Channi to join the BJP, saying he will find dignity and respect.

"@CHARANJITCHANNI ji, I as a proud Punjabi, believe your stand on Dalit representation shows leadership and secular values. In @BJP4Punjab, you'll find respect, dignity, and real opportunity to serve every community. Let's work together for Punjab's future," said Dhillon in a post on X.

The Punjab Assembly Polls are due in 2027.

Meanwhile, Warring said Channi, as a Congress Working Committee (CWC) member, holds the "biggest post" in the party.

On Sunday, when the Punjab Congress chief was asked about Channi's alleged comments, he said, "The biggest position is that of a CWC member. Who is that? That is Charanjit Singh Channi saab… I do not want to go into any media report. Channi saab cannot say this. He has the biggest post." He also said that Sunil Jakhar was removed when Channi was appointed as the leader of the Congress Legislature Party in Punjab, "because there is no discrimination in the Congress." Jakhar, who is now with the BJP, is a Jat leader.

"Today, Channi is an MP even though he lost elections in two assembly seats. He was made an MP and a CWC member. Channi saab is also the chairman of the parliamentary committee on agriculture," Warring said.

"Who was becoming the chief minister? It was Sukhjinder Randhawa or Amar Singh. But who (ultimately) became one? It was Channi saab. Dalits are the crowns on our heads and will always be," he added.

After the Congress removed Amarinder Singh from the post of chief minister unceremoniously in 2021, Channi was picked for the post.

Channi, however, lost two assembly seats -- Chamkaur Sahib and Bhadaur -- in the 2022 assembly polls.

Warring asserted that Congress, being a secular party, does not play politics on religion and caste.

"If Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge were to do so, we might have been in power like the BJP," he said, alleging that it is the saffron party that indulges in polarisation.

The drama continued to unfold, with Channi on Monday alleging that a propaganda was being waged against him.

"For the past one or two days, false propaganda was being run against me on social media and television channels, claiming that I spoke against a caste or community … I did not speak against anyone anywhere, nor can I speak against anyone. I have always respected all religions," he said in a video message.

The former Punjab chief minister said he firmly believes in the philosophy of Guru Sahiban -- "Manas ki jaat sabhe ek pehchanbo" (See the entire human race as one).

He thanked the Congress and said, "Punjab is a bouquet in which there are different castes and religions. We have to expand this bouquet. When the party is also a bouquet, every section gets representation, and it takes everyone along. Then, the government is formed. This is what I say, and it is wrong to link it to casteism." Meanwhile, Congress MP from Patiala, Dharamvira Gandhi, wrote on Facebook that he was "so unhappy, so sad." "The Congress party, especially its faction-ridden Punjab unit, is bereft of deep politics," he said.

The lawmaker also suggested that the upcoming Punjab Youth Congress elections be deferred for at least one-and-a-half to two years, arguing that holding organisational elections close to the assembly polls could deepen divisions within the party. PTI CHS SUN VN VN