Chief Minister of Punjab Charanjit Singh Channi It said on Saturday that the state did not face any security threat and such a story was “creation” of his predecessor Amarinder Singh, who was “with Kahoot”. Bharatiya Janata Party,
Speaking at the e-Adda, Channi referred to the security threat as “khayali pulao” or wishful thinking and said, “He (Amarinder) is talking about drones because he was working BJP long time now. Creating fear before the elections by raising the issue of security is the agenda of the BJP. They will organize an explosion. But we have full faith in our police and administration. No drone will come. We can maintain peace on our own.” The e-Adda was conducted by National Political Editor Ravish Tiwari and Resident Editor (Chandigarh) Manraj Grewal Sharma.
Channi said it was the BJP’s way of starting “raising national security (issues)” whenever it wanted to divide people for election gains. “However, the BJP will not succeed in Punjab. Punjabis are bigger nationalists than anyone. Just take out the list and see. You will find 70 per cent Punjabi in the list of martyrs.
On Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee President Navjot Singh Sidhu’s scathing criticism against his own party’s government, Channi said he was getting full cooperation from them. “He had recently called me to his constituency Amritsar. Then we were also together in Patiala. He was with me just two days ago. He has been a hard hitter and has been hitting sixes. He has helped our team to perform well at the international level. Now he has also hit sixes. He’s a good player.”
Chief Minister Channi said that he was fortunate to have got the full support of the people and his allies. “People are liking our decisions and I am getting the support of all the MLAs. They are united,” he said.
On Amaninder’s statement that he was humiliated by the Congress, Channi said that it was he who humiliated the state and its people, “Congress had constituted a committee. He could take a clue. He was then given an 18-point agenda, when it was made clear to him that his performance was not up to the mark. He ignored the request for resignation. After all this he is saying that he was humiliated. The party made him chief minister twice. His wife became an MP several times on a party ticket. She was also a minister at the Centre. The party gave him a lot and yet he says he was humiliated.
“He (Amarinder) should remember that he was made PPCC chief before the last assembly election. But this time the party was not making any progress under his leadership. After his expulsion, now the Congress is back on track.
“You have insulted poor Punjab. You sleep in the house (You have humiliated the entire state. You are sleeping at your residence). You did not meet people at the Chief Minister’s residence. whose fault is it? Whenever the party asks me to go, I will go home with my shawl,” he said, referring to his predecessor Amarinder Singh.
According to Channi, the problem with Amarinder and former deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal, who was now criticizing him, was that they were all elites. “Power has now shifted from the elite to the common man in the state. The captain worked two hours a day. And I sleep two hours a day. This is theug-change in Punjab.”
The CM also said that a systemic change is needed. “I have very little time as chief minister. But we need to change the education system in which we emphasize on skill development. But I have a roadmap. We will restore Punjab to its glory once we come back and have time. We need to diversify agriculture. I have taken up with the Prime Minister that there should be a Minimum Support Price (MSP) for other crops as well so that farmers turn to them.
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