Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi has called Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) a party of kale angrej trying to rule Punjab by winning the 2022 state assembly elections. Channi took a swipe at AAP and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal while addressing a gathering at Badhni Kalan in Nihal Singh Wala segment of Moga on December 1.
The Punjab CM said, “They say Kejriwal will rule Punjab. These people (AAP) are imposters and fake.” He further asked, “Are there no youths and no Punjabis in Punjab? Will kale angrej come here and rule? Punjabis sacrificed the most to defeat the British. kale angrej are trying to take over Punjab after (gore) chitte angrej (Britishers) were ousted from the country. Now, these kale angrej have come.”
While Channi asked people to reject Kejriwal as an outsider and imposter, Kejriwal said that he might be black but his intentions were fair. Kejriwal alleged that Channi started abusing him right after he promised Rs 1000 per month to every woman of Punjab.
जबसे मैंने कहा कि पंजाब की हर महिला को 1000 रुपए महीना देंगे, चन्नी साहिब मुझे गालियाँ दे रहे हैं। बोले कि केजरीवाल के कपड़े ख़राब हैं, आज बोले केजरीवाल काला है
— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) December 1, 2021
चन्नी साहिब, मेरा रंग काला है। पर पंजाब की मेरी माँ बहनों को ये काला बेटा/भाई पसंद है।उनको पता है कि मेरी नीयत साफ़ है https://t.co/ZcNvFkLCM1
Later on, talking to the media Channi clarified that he wanted to stay that Punjab belonged to Punjabis and Kejriwal should not create disruptions here. “These outsiders kale angrej want to rule Punjab,” he said.
AAP has tried to draw political mileage out of the remark of Channi and said that he crossed all the boundaries of slander. But Channi accused Kejriwal of trying to grab power in Punjab by resorting to drama and false guarantees as “Kejriwal he has no concern for Punjab beyond that.”
Channi is battling on twin fronts
The most intriguing aspect of the Punjab battle is that Congress CM Channi is fighting with AAP and Punjab Congress president Navjot Singh Sidhu as well.
Sidhu had lost no occasion to publicly slam Channi causing enough damage to the poll prospect of the Congress in Punjab. People were left confused when Kejriwal heaped praise upon Sidhu for slamming the Channi government. However, apparently snubbed by the central leadership for not defending the party and the CM of Punjab, Sidhu started speaking against AAP.
Rahul Gandhi holds meeting with Channi and Sidhu
On December 1, Rahul Gandhi called Channi and Sidhu besides former Punjab Congress president Sunil Jakhar to discuss strategies for the Punjab assembly elections. The meeting lasted for five hours where Gandhi asked both of them to unitedly work for the party. Gandhi is learnt to have discussed the formation of election-related committees for Punjab with the state leaders.
