Former CM Channi accuses state govt of orchestrating attack to disrupt roadshow

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, May 23

In a press conference held today, Congress candidate Charanjit Singh Channi criticised the state government for the deteriorating law-and-order situation and alleged that the recent attack on a Punjab Roadways bus by some unidentified youngsters, was a deliberate plot orchestrated by the state authorities.

The attack, which occurred last evening on the Phagwara-Jalandhar Highway near Jalandhar Cantt, caused a significant traffic jam that not only inconvenienced commuters, but also disrupted Channi’s roadshow.

The bus driver, Mukhtiyar Singh from Tarn Taran, had claimed that youngsters in a car made objectionable gestures at him. When he objected, the group halted their vehicle in front of the bus, wielded swords to assault him, and then fled with the bus key, leaving it stranded on the highway for nearly an hour.

Channi emphasised that his roadshow was not merely a political event, but a solidarity march for Barjinder S Hamdard, who was recently booked by the Vigilance Bureau (VB) in the Jang-e-Azadi Memorial construction case. He claimed that the attack on the bus, which was coming from Delhi, was intended to disrupt the march. He accused the state government of orchestrating the incident to impede his demonstration in support for Hamdard.

Terming the FIR against Hamdard as an attack on press freedom, Channi defended him, highlighting his own tenure as tourism minister and overseeing this project, asserting that no work under this project could have proceeded without the signature of the DC, who was the member secretary of the project. Channi alleged that Hamdard played only a guiding role.

While condemning actions of the VB, Channi said the Congress stood firmly with Hamdard. He vowed to ensure fair administration if elected to power. He drew parallels between the actions of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at the national level and the alleged misuse of agencies by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Punjab.

About the incident, Channi alleged, “The highway was almost clear when we started our march from Phagwara. It seems like the government plotted this attack to harass us upon learning about our solidarity march.”

He called upon for the Election Commission of India (ECI) to take suo motu cognisance of the incident and demanded an inquiry to identify the attackers, who came in the guise of Nihang Sikhs. When contacted, Amritpal Sharma, Station House Officer (SHO), Jalandhar Cantt, said no official complaint had been received from Punjab Roadways employees regarding the incident so far. Therefore, no FIR had been registered in this connection, the SHO said. He said once a complaint was received and statements recorded, the matter would thoroughly investigated.

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