Ludhiana: Cracks have deepened in Congress’ Punjab unit following former chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi’s demand for greater Dalit representation in party leadership, leading to a caste-based rift.
The row erupted after a leaked video of the party’s Scheduled Caste (SC) wing meeting, held in Chandigarh on January 17, went viral.
At the meeting, Channi underlined Punjab’s 35-38% Dalit population and questioned why key posts like Punjab Congress president (Amarinder Singh Raja Warring, Jat Sikh), CLP leader (Partap Singh
Bajwa, Jat Sikh), women’s wing chief, and AICC general secretary in Punjab are all held by upper castes representatives.
“Where do we go? Where will these people go?” Channi asked, demanding proportional representation ahead of Assembly polls due early next year.
PCC chief Warring sharply rebutted Channi, pointing to the latter’s elevation as CWC member, CLP leader (replacing Sunil Jakhar), and Lok Sabha MP from Jalandhar despite Assembly losses. “Congress is secular; there is no caste discrimination,” Warring asserted.
Channi clarified that he wasn’t against any caste, labelling the backlash as “malicious propaganda.”
Opposition leaders added fuel to the simmering row, by sharing the videos on their social media handles.
The All India Congress Committee (AICC) has convened a meeting on January 23, where state leaders will address infighting amid fears of factional divide between Dalit and Jat Sikh lobbies.