‘Elected by people, unable to represent’: Congress’ Charanjit Channi speaks for jailed MP Amritpal Singh in Lok Sabha

Former Punjab Chief Minister and Congress Lok Sabha MP Charanjit Singh Channi on Thursday, July 25, spoke for Amritpal Singh, jailed Lok Sabha MP from Khadoor Sahib and ‘Waris Punjab De’ chief, as he emphasised that he was elected by 20 lakh people but is still “unable to represent” them. Charanjit Singh Channi also blamed the Central government for an “undeclared Emergency” in India.

“They speak about Emergency every day. But what about the undeclared Emergency in the country today?…This too is Emergency that a man who was elected as an MP by 20 lakh people in Punjab is behind bars under the NSA. He is unable to present the views of the people of his constituency, here [in Lok Sabha]. This too is Emergency,” Channi said during a debate on the Union Budget in the Lok Sabha.

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Speaking of Sidhu Moose Wala’s murder, Charanjit Channi said, “Today in the country, a financial emergency-like condition is emerging and the BJP is responsible for that. They talk about the 1975 emergency but about today’s undeclared emergency in the country? It is also an emergency that Sidhu Moose Wala, one of the famous singers of the nation was killed and justice has not given to his family.”

Charanjit Channi also held the BJP government responsible for farmers being termed Khalistanis. “Farmers are called Khalistani when they make demands, which aren’t fulfilled. This is also an emergency,” he said. Channi said the government was ignoring demands of the farmers.

The former Punjab chief minister also held that the state was ignored in the Budget 2024. “It’s not a budget to save the country, it’s just to save their government. They haven’t addressed the floods in Punjab, haven’t raised wages, and have ignored Punjab in this budget. Jalandhar was declared a smart city, but it still has dirty water and a significant drug problem,” he said.