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Punjab: Now, Barnala Cong event sees pro-Channi slogans
The programme was briefly disrupted when a group of Channi supporters raised slogans including “Channi teri soch te pehra deyange thok ke” and “Charanjit Channi Zindabad”
The simmering factionalism within the Punjab Congress showed no signs of easing on Sunday as supporters of former chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi raised slogans during the party’s ‘Har Booth, Congress Mazboot’ programme in Barnala, a day after similar scenes played out in Patiala and Sangrur.
The Barnala meeting was attended by AICC general secretary and Punjab in-charge Bhupesh Baghel, Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring, Barnala MLA Kuldeep Singh Kala Dhillon, former ministers Razia Sultana and Brahm Mohindra, former MLA Raj Kumar Verka and several district and block-level leaders.
The programme was briefly disrupted when a group of Channi supporters raised slogans including “Channi teri soch te pehra deyange thok ke” and “Charanjit Channi Zindabad”. As the sloganeering continued, Warring appealed to party workers to maintain discipline, saying, “No nara,” and urged them to allow the meeting to continue. Dhillon stepped down from the stage in an effort to pacify the slogan-shouting supporters.
Without naming anyone, Dhillon launched a veiled attack on certain party leaders, alleging that a handful of leaders project a misleading picture of the Punjab Congress before the party high command in Delhi.
“There are five to seven leaders in the state who go to Delhi and create their own stories. Sitting at Indira Bhawan, they talk about strengthening the Congress, but when they return to Punjab, they start harming their own colleagues. We need to remain alert and cautious of such people,” he said.
Razia Sultana also expressed concern over repeated disruptions at party events and said: “If anybody has an issue, they should raise it before the party high command. Those who deliberately spoil the atmosphere in the party should be shown the door.
Some party workers present at the meeting openly voiced support for Channi. Amar Singh from Bhadaur alleged that Bhupesh Baghel was not presenting the true picture of the Punjab Congress before the central leadership and claimed that “everyone wants Channi”.
Later, addressing reporters, Warring sought to downplay the incident, saying it was difficult to ascertain who was behind the sloganeering.
“The person raising the slogans could be an outsider, could be one of our own workers, or could even have been sent by chief minister Bhagwant Singh Mann,” Warring said.
Addressing the media after the programme, Baghel said the ‘Har Booth, Congress Mazboot’ campaign, which began from Fatehgarh Sahib, had reached Barnala on its third day and was receiving an encouraging response from party workers.
“The message is clear — we have to strengthen every booth,” Baghel said.
Launching an attack on the ruling Aam Aadmi Party government, he alleged that Punjab was witnessing rampant corruption and a complete collapse of law and order. “The people and Congress workers are fully prepared to overthrow the AAP government in Punjab,” he asserted.
The Barnala incident comes just a day after pro-Channi sloganeering disrupted similar ‘Har Booth, Congress Mazboot’ meetings in Patiala and Sangrur, underlining persistent factionalism within the state unit.
The latest developments follow the Congress high command’s July 1 decision to retain Warring as Punjab Congress president while appointing Channi as chairman of the party’s campaign committee, a move seen as an attempt to balance competing power centres within the organisation.
Amid the growing leadership tussle, Baghel had on Saturday reiterated that the Congress high command would decide the party’s chief ministerial face and ministerial positions only after the assembly elections. While dismissing reports of factionalism, he warned that indiscipline would not be tolerated and those violating party discipline would be shown the door.
Channi himself had appealed to party workers on Saturday to avoid sloganeering that could fuel internal divisions.
Baghel is currently touring the poll-bound state and is scheduled to visit several assembly constituencies as part of the Congress’ organisational outreach aimed at strengthening the party at the booth level ahead of the assembly elections.
