With Punjab elections just around the corner, Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi’s comments have landed him and the Congress party in a major controversy. During a road show yesterday with Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on his side, he remarked that ‘he won’t let UP, Bihar ke bhaiya enter the state’.
“Priyanka Gandhi is Punjab’s daughter-in-law, she is the bahu of Punjabis. Bhaiyas from Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Delhi cannot come here and rule. We will not allow UP bhaiyas to stray into Punjab,” said Channi while Priyanka Gandhi was seen smiling and clapping even as supporters were seen smiling and chanting “Bole so nihal…”.
The comments were aimed at Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who has been aggressively campaigning in Punjab for Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).
“It is very shameful. We strongly condemn comments aimed at any individual or any particular community,” Mr Kejriwal said.
“Priyanka Gandhi is from UP,” AAP’s Bhagwant Mann pointed out.
Mr Kejriwal replied: “Then she too is a bhaiya.”
The Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) also trashed the comments and said that Congress leader Priyanka, had insulted the people of UP where the Congress is fighting Assembly Elections. “So UP mein it is “ladki hoon lad sakti hoon” and Punjab mein it is “UP ke bhaiya ko bahar bhagao”.
