'Bhaiya' remark: Channi says meant for AAP leaders, not migrant workers from UP & Bihar
Chandigarh, Feb 17: Under fire over his 'UP de bhaiye' remark, Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi on Thursday said his comment had been twisted and lauded migrants for their contribution to the state's development.
Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also came out in his defence, saying his remark was "misinterpreted".
Channi took to Twitter after coming under attack from several leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi who referred to the remark at his election rally in Punjab's Abohar and in Fatehpur in Uttar Pradesh on Thursday.
Gandhi said Channi's reference was towards Modi and AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal.
Very clearly Channi ji's reference was towards Narendra Modi ji and (Arvind) Kejriwal ji and his clear reference was that there will be no one else's rule here. He said in Punjab, nobody from outside will rule here. What is wrong in that? she told reporters in Pathankot when asked about the remark.
With Gandhi by his side during an election roadshow in Rupnagar on Tuesday, Channi had asked people not to let the bhaiyas from Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Delhi enter the state.
The remark was apparently aimed at Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders, but bhaiya is considered a derogatory term for migrants from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar who work in Punjab.
The Punjab chief minister said his comment was directed at a few individuals causing disruption in the state.
My statement is being twisted since yesterday. The migrants have taken Punjab to the path of development with their hard work. They have always contributed towards development, he said in a video message on Twitter.
Our love for them is in our heart and nobody can take it out, he added.
Channi said his remark referred to AAP leaders like Arvind Kejriwal, Durgesh Pathak and Sanjay Singh, alleging that they come to the state from outside to create disturbance.
But for people from UP, Bihar, Rajasthan and other places who come to Punjab for work, Punjab is theirs as much as it is ours. Therefore, it is not correct to show this in a wrong manner. Migrants are dear to us, he said, adding that many people from Punjab also work in other states.
He then acknowledged the contribution of migrants in various fields in Punjab, asking them not to equate themselves with people like Kejriwal .
These people have come here to spread anarchy in the state whereas migrants come here for development, he said.
"My brothers & sisters from UP & Bihar have contributed towards building Punjab. We have been together for generations & I love & respect all of them like my own family members, Channi tweeted.
Earlier reacting to the 'bhaiya' remark, PM Modi said at his rally, The Congress always makes people of one region fight against another region for their own gain.
Union Power Minister R K Singh also hit out at Channi over the remark.
"It is downright shameful to make such a statement for people from other states. One thing is clear, Congress party has realised that it will have no relevance in UP and Bihar. And even in the case, they thought they will gain some political advantage, they will give statements that are not in national interest...??"
"Congress is marginalised in UP and Bihar and it is now going to disappear. And that is the reason they are giving statements like this," he said.
In Patna, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar also slammed Channi.
"This is nonsense. I am appalled at how people can say such things. Does he not know how many people from Bihar live there (in Punjab) and how much they have served that land," he said.
In a video that surfaced on social media, Priyanka Gandhi was seen beside Channi, clapping when he made the remarks during the roadshow.
"Priyanka Gandhi is the daughter-in-law of Punjab," Channi had said, adding that "Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Delhi de bhaiye" won't be allowed to enter the state.
AAP national convener and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal termed the comment "very shameful".
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Congress using hijab issue to pacify minority anger, alleges Karnataka LoP R Ashoka
Bengaluru: Leader of Opposition in the Assembly R. Ashoka has accused the Congress government of using the hijab issue to placate what he described as discontent among minority voters after the Davanagere by-election.
In a post on X on Wednesday, Ashoka alleged that the state government, instead of addressing issues such as price rise, corruption, farmers’ distress and law and order, was attempting to retain its minority vote base by reviving the hijab issue.
Referring to the 2022 dress code introduced by the BJP government, which prohibited hijab in schools and colleges, Ashoka said the Karnataka High Court had upheld the policy and emphasised the importance of discipline in educational institutions.
He questioned the Congress government’s move to revisit the issue and asked whether setting aside the court-backed policy to benefit one community could be described as secularism.
Ashoka further alleged that while the government was willing to permit hijab, it continued to prohibit saffron shawls.
He accused the government of dividing students on religious lines rather than treating schools and colleges as spaces of equality.
Drawing a comparison with Mamata Banerjee’s government in West Bengal, Ashoka claimed that excessive appeasement politics had harmed the state and warned that the Congress in Karnataka could face a similar political response.
He said voters in Karnataka would teach the Congress a lesson for what he termed “vote-bank politics” and for compromising constitutional and judicial principles.
