Under attack over Rawats comments Cong says both Channi Sidhu to be faces in Punjab polls
New Delhi Sep 20 PTI The Congress on Monday said it will fight Punjab elections under the leadership of Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi and PCC chief Navjot Singh Sidhu and both will be our faces The Congress went into damage control after it came under attack from various parties over the statement of its general secretary in-charge for Punjab Harish Rawat that the party would go to polls with Navjot Singh Sidhu as it face Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said the next Punjab assembly elections will be fought under the leadership of both Channi and Sidhu and attacked the BJP Akali Dal BSP and Aam Aadmi Party for insulting a Dalit chief minister He also questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP leadership why they had not named any Dalit as their chief minister and why they and other leaders of BSP AAP and Akali Dal were undermining the young Congress Dalit leader Our faces will be Charanjit Singh Channi and Navjot Singh Sidhu as also ordinary Congress workers and leaders who will be supporting them If anybody says one or the other will be the face intentionally or otherwise it is being misinterpreted by the media he told reporters I want to tell all our friends in the media please you also do not grudge the young Dalit leader and the role assigned him as chief minister of Punjab He will be our face along with Navjot Singh Sidhu which is natural he said alleging that Rawats statement has been misinterpreted We urge the BJP Akali Dal BSP and AAP to stop insulting Dalits and spread lies about them Surjewala also said He alleged that the BJP SAD AAP and BSP have unwarrantedly shamelessly and regrettably attacked the candidature of Channi May I ask Prime Minister Narendra Modi that you have been in power for seven long years and in a dozen states have you ever appointed a Dalit as chief minister of BJP No he said adding that Channi is the only Dalit chief minister sworn in by the Congress party He claimed that the other two chief ministers of Congress are from backward classes in Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh where social justice has been ensured by the party We have a prime minister who only speaks and we have the leadership of Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi who deliver That is the principal difference We would urge Narendra Modi ji J P Nadda Sukhbir Singh Badal Arvind Kejriwal and Mayawati ji to not grudge the rightful due of a Dalits son who is today the chief minister of Punjab and instead of shamelessly criticising him they should hail his elevation the Congress leader said Various parties had attacked the Congress after Rawats remarks saying the grand old party is only doing tokenism It would have been better had Channi been appointed the chief minister earlier His appointment as CM a few months ahead of Punjab assembly elections looks like a poll gimmick BSP chief Mayawati said I also came to know from the media that the next assembly polls in Punjab would be contested under leadership of a non-Dalit This means that the Congress still does not fully trust Dalits she claimed The Congress also come under attack from within with its former PCC chief Sunil Jakhar questioning Rawat over his statement On the swearing-in day of Charnjit Channi as chief minister Rawats statement that elections will be fought under Sidhu is baffling Its likely to undermine CMs authority but also negate the very raison dtre of his selection for this position he tweeted Hours later Surjewala said Channi is the chief minister and Sidhu is the organisation head of the Congress in Punjab and the next elections will be fought under both of them He claimed that the Congress has carved out a new chapter in Indias history with the swearing in of the first Dalit chief minister of Punjab Its a matter of great pride for every young and old Congress worker and every poor and disadvantaged person and Dalit of India that this singular decision will fortify social justice foundations in this country Surjewala said The Congress leader said Rahul Gandhi has always stated that he believes the doors of echelons of power need to be opened for the poorest of the poor and they must lead by the front and not be bystanders in the gallery and that is what the Congress has proved A person from the Dalit community who rose from the most humble ranks did manual labour proudly with his father has today become the chief minister of Punjab he claimed This proves that the Congress party has space for everyone whoever you are wherever you come from the doors will always be open he said Surjewala also said the new chief minister and two deputy CMs have already sat down to take historical decisions These decisions include the Congress already waiving domestic electricity bills of the poor for up to 200 units Those living in small houses have been allowed the waiver of drinking water and sewerage bills he added In villages too water bills have been waived after power bills he said Our government will take historic decisions to ensure that social justice equality and equanimity between all classes of people is restored totally he claimed Surjewala also thanked Amarinder Singh saying he ably led the Congress government The magnanimity with which Singh came forward and congratulated and supported Channi proves his maturity as also establishes that we will continue to get his guidance and his experience in the days to come he saidPTI SKC AAR AAR
New Delhi Sep 20 PTI The Congress on Monday said it will fight Punjab elections under the leadership of Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi and PCC chief Navjot Singh Sidhu and both will be our faces The Congress went into damage control after it came under attack from various parties over the statement of its general secretary in-charge for Punjab Harish Rawat that the party would go to polls with Navjot Singh Sidhu as it face Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said the next Punjab assembly elections will be fought under the leadership of both Channi and Sidhu and attacked the BJP Akali Dal BSP and Aam Aadmi Party for insulting a Dalit chief minister He also questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP leadership why they had not named any Dalit as their chief minister and why they and other leaders of BSP AAP and Akali Dal were undermining the young Congress Dalit leader Our faces will be Charanjit Singh Channi and Navjot Singh Sidhu as also ordinary Congress workers and leaders who will be supporting them If anybody says one or the other will be the face intentionally or otherwise it is being misinterpreted by the media he told reporters I want to tell all our friends in the media please you also do not grudge the young Dalit leader and the role assigned him as chief minister of Punjab He will be our face along with Navjot Singh Sidhu which is natural he said alleging that Rawats statement has been misinterpreted We urge the BJP Akali Dal BSP and AAP to stop insulting Dalits and spread lies about them Surjewala also said He alleged that the BJP SAD AAP and BSP have unwarrantedly shamelessly and regrettably attacked the candidature of Channi May I ask Prime Minister Narendra Modi that you have been in power for seven long years and in a dozen states have you ever appointed a Dalit as chief minister of BJP No he said adding that Channi is the only Dalit chief minister sworn in by the Congress party He claimed that the other two chief ministers of Congress are from backward classes in Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh where social justice has been ensured by the party We have a prime minister who only speaks and we have the leadership of Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi who deliver That is the principal difference We would urge Narendra Modi ji J P Nadda Sukhbir Singh Badal Arvind Kejriwal and Mayawati ji to not grudge the rightful due of a Dalits son who is today the chief minister of Punjab and instead of shamelessly criticising him they should hail his elevation the Congress leader said Various parties had attacked the Congress after Rawats remarks saying the grand old party is only doing tokenism It would have been better had Channi been appointed the chief minister earlier His appointment as CM a few months ahead of Punjab assembly elections looks like a poll gimmick BSP chief Mayawati said I also came to know from the media that the next assembly polls in Punjab would be contested under leadership of a non-Dalit This means that the Congress still does not fully trust Dalits she claimed The Congress also come under attack from within with its former PCC chief Sunil Jakhar questioning Rawat over his statement On the swearing-in day of Charnjit Channi as chief minister Rawats statement that elections will be fought under Sidhu is baffling Its likely to undermine CMs authority but also negate the very raison dtre of his selection for this position he tweeted Hours later Surjewala said Channi is the chief minister and Sidhu is the organisation head of the Congress in Punjab and the next elections will be fought under both of them He claimed that the Congress has carved out a new chapter in Indias history with the swearing in of the first Dalit chief minister of Punjab Its a matter of great pride for every young and old Congress worker and every poor and disadvantaged person and Dalit of India that this singular decision will fortify social justice foundations in this country Surjewala said The Congress leader said Rahul Gandhi has always stated that he believes the doors of echelons of power need to be opened for the poorest of the poor and they must lead by the front and not be bystanders in the gallery and that is what the Congress has proved A person from the Dalit community who rose from the most humble ranks did manual labour proudly with his father has today become the chief minister of Punjab he claimed This proves that the Congress party has space for everyone whoever you are wherever you come from the doors will always be open he said Surjewala also said the new chief minister and two deputy CMs have already sat down to take historical decisions These decisions include the Congress already waiving domestic electricity bills of the poor for up to 200 units Those living in small houses have been allowed the waiver of drinking water and sewerage bills he added In villages too water bills have been waived after power bills he said Our government will take historic decisions to ensure that social justice equality and equanimity between all classes of people is restored totally he claimed Surjewala also thanked Amarinder Singh saying he ably led the Congress government The magnanimity with which Singh came forward and congratulated and supported Channi proves his maturity as also establishes that we will continue to get his guidance and his experience in the days to come he saidPTI SKC AAR AAR
