Punjab: Team Channi’s private jet ride draws Oppsition flak

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 21

A day after new Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi portrayed himself as “aam aadmi”, his flight to Delhi in a chartered jet on Tuesday raked up a controversy, with Opposition parties questioning “wasteful” expenditure.

The Chief Minister along with his two deputies — Sukhjinder Randhawa and OP Soni — and PCC chief Navjot Singh Sidhu today flew to Delhi to meet senior Congress leaders. A senior government functionary said the government helicopter could not fly due to bad weather.

Who’s paying for it?

Wonder who’s paying for such luxury — the state govt or @INCPunjab? Can’t be @sherryontopp or @CHARANJITCHANNI or @Sukhjinder_INC or #OPSoni for sure. — Adviser to Capt Amarinder Singh

Before boarding the flight, Sidhu shared a photo with caption “In line of duty” on Twitter, showing them standing in front of the chartered jet. Channi also shared the picture on his official Twitter handle.

The SAD was quick to react, saying “aam aadmi does not fly in private jets”. “After saying they stand with the common man, Congress leaders take private jets to travel just 250 km from Chandigarh to Delhi. Are there no normal flights or cars? Or is this chest-thumping aimed at propagation of Gandhi family’s Delhi Darbar culture?”

Reacting strongly to the use of chartered plane by the Congress leaders, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) senior leader and Leader of Opposition Harpal Singh Cheema said: “No one becomes a ‘common man’ by saying, only his deeds reveal the truth.”

He said the real faces of Channi, Sidhu and Randhawa, who were calling themselves the ‘common man’ a day ago had been exposed.

The Leader of Opposition also said the special services of the Punjab Government’s helicopter being provided to the Congress Punjab affairs in-charge Harish Rawat was a looting of the exchequer and violation of the rules.

Yesterday, the Chief Minister had indicated at shunning the “elite” culture as it was “aam aadmi sarkar” of the Congress, as he took a jibe at Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP.