Congress leader Charanjit Singh Channi sparked a heated debate in the Lok Sabha, accusing the central government of imposing an "undeclared emergency" in the country. Channi criticised the detention of an elected MP under the National Security Act (NSA), without naming the individual.
However, BJP leaders inferred that he was referring to Amritpal Singh, a radical Sikh preacher who won a Lok Sabha seat in the recent elections.
The ex-Punjab chief minister referred to the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections and said, "This is also an emergency that a Member of Parliament elected by 20 lakh people in Punjab has been detained under the NSA (National Security Act)...He is unable to speak about his constituency here (in Parliament). This is also an emergency."
However, there's no response from the Congress leadership on Channi's statement for Amritpal yet.
BJP leaders responded sharply, accusing Channi of supporting separatist ideologies and terrorism.
Channi criticised for remarks:
BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla said the Congress must answer whether the party was in support of the idea of Khalistan that led to the assassination of the then prime minister Indira Gandhi in 1984.
"Batting for separatist who wants tukde tukde of India? Rahul ji must answer - the idea of Khalistan that caused the assassination of PM Indira ji is being hailed !! Why does Congress always bat for separatists and terrorists? Yakub, Afzal, 26/11 jihadis, now K terrorists?" he said.
Meanwhile, the Union minister Giriraj Singh termed Channi's remarks made inside Parliament as "unfortunate".
"The Khalistani who assassinated Indira Gandhi has received open support from Channi today, which means the Congress is siding with the Khalistanis. This is an attack on the integrity of India...what can I say, I will say action should be taken," he stated.
BJP MP Dinesh Sharma demanded the expulsion of Channi by Congress.
"Today, Channi, who doesn't even have the status of a 'chavanni' (a quarter-rupee coin), is speaking in support of terrorists and glorifying them. He is working at the behest of anti-national elements from Canada," he said.
"The Congress should expel him, and if Congress doesn't take action against him, it means that somewhere Congress is in cahoots with these anti-social and anti-national elements," he said.
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