Punjab Congress chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring on Sunday brushed aside the pro-Charanjit Singh Channi slogans raised at Congress programmes over the past two days, accusing the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) of blowing the issue out of proportion and television channels of focusing only on the sloganeering.
The remarks came after supporters of Jalandhar MP and former chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi interrupted the Congress' "Har Booth, Congress Mazboot" programme in Barnala with pro-Channi slogans in the presence of AICC general secretary in-charge of Punjab, Bhupesh Baghel.
Similar slogans were raised at party events in Patiala and Sangrur on Saturday.
Interacting with reporters in Barnala, Warring said, "The current (AAP) government is presenting the slogans raised in favour of Charanjit Singh Channi as if they were chanted in favour of Pakistan."
He also criticised television channels for highlighting only the sloganeering while ignoring other developments at the party's outreach events.
"No television channel is showing that a leader from Shutrana joined the Congress on Saturday, or that 40-50 AAP MLAs are likely to switch sides," he alleged.
"I gave a speech, and everybody listened to it. The party workers clapped. But no TV channel is showing it," Warring said, questioning the attention given to the slogans.
"What happens if a slogan is raised? Channi had been our chief minister. I myself had raised the slogan 'Ghar Ghar Challi Gal, Channi Karda Masle Hal' (Go from house to house and say, Channi does resolve problems). I had raised slogans in favour of Partap Singh Bajwa also," he said.
Seeking to end the controversy, Warring himself raised the slogan, "Charanjit Singh Channi Zindabad."
The episode has once again drawn attention to the Congress' internal factionalism in Punjab, despite the party leadership's repeated claims of working towards organisational unity ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections.
The leadership tussle resurfaced after the Congress high command on July 1 retained Warring as the Punjab Congress chief while appointing Channi as the chairperson of the party's campaign committee.
(With inputs from PTI)
