Channi Raises Amritpal Singh’s Detention in Parliament, Spars with Bittu

One 25 Jul, in the Lok Sabha (Lower House of the Indian Parliament), INC MP and former Panjab CM Charanjit Singh Channi questioned the sincerity of the BJP by pointing out the absence of the Prime Minister, the Home Minister, and the Finance Minister when he was responding to the Budget. He spoke about the falling rupee and rising fuel prices and said, ‘They (BJP) speak about Emergency every day. But what about the undeclared Emergency in the country today?...This too is an Emergency that a man who was elected as an MP by 200K people in Panjab is behind bars under the NSA (National Security Act). He is unable to present the views of the people of his constituency.’ The BJP criticized Channi’s remarks, accusing the INC of supporting separatists. The INC clarified that Channi’s views were personal and not reflective of party stance. Channi also likened BJP to the East India Company. Union Minister of State for Railways, Ravneet Singh Bittu objected. Channi addressed him and said, ‘Your late father (instead of grandfather) was a martyr but he actually died the day you left the INC.’ Bittu earlier won MP elections twice as an INC candidate and joined BJP just before the recent elections. His grandfather Beant Singh was also an INC Panjab CM, assassinated in 1995. Bittu responded, ‘My grandfather laid down his life for the country, not for INC.’ The situation escalated when Bittu approached the well of the house saying, ‘Face me if you have courage.’