Patna, Feb 17 (IANS) Following Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi's allegedly derogatory remarks on the people of Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Delhi, a criminal case was filed against him in a court in Bihar's Muzaffarpur and an application moved in a Patna police station on Thursday.
Social activist Tammannah Hashmi filed a plea under various sections of the Indian Penal Code in Muzaffarpur and the CJM's court has admitted the case.
"Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi insulted the people of Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Delhi. His statement has hurt the sentiments of these states. Hence, I have filed an application against him in the Chief Judicial Magistrate's court. It is accepted by the court. The next hearing of this case will be on February 24," Hashmi said.
The BJP's youth wing came forward to file a FIR in Patna as well. Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) Vice President Manish Singh moved an application in Kadam Kuan police station to register an FIR against Channi.
"We have strongly demanded legal action against the Punjab Chief Minister. He should apologize for his derogatory remark on the people of Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, and Delhi," Singh said.
BJP OBC Morcha national General Secretary and Bihar BJP spokesperson Dr Nikhil Anand said: "The statement of Punjab CM Charanjit Singh Channi shows the regional and casteist bias which is hardcore ingrained in the Congress culture. Interestingly, when Channi was abusing the people of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, (Congress General Secretary) Priyanka Gandhi Vadra was laughing shamelessly enjoying the slant on Purvanchal. We condemn the statement of Channi and demand an apology from Priyanka Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi."
"The state of Punjab will economically collapse if the people of Bihar and UP go on 100 per cent strike. The cultural inheritance of Guru Gobind Singh ji, Sant Kabir and Ravidas ji belongs to the land of Bihar-UP. The state of Punjab will be culturally and economically uprooted if it discards Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. People of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh will keep teaching lessons to Congress till the time it loses the status of a national party," he added.
Channi has claimed that his statement was twisted by opposition parties and media.
"My statement was against Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, (and AAP leaders) Durgesh Pathak and Sanjay Singh who came from outside and creating disturbance. My statement is not for common people of Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi and Rajasthan who come to Punjab for work. Their contribution in the making of Punjab is immense and I have great respect for them," Channi said in a video statement.
"We all are migrant people and we have equal rights on the lands of Punjab. A large number of Punjabi people are also working in other states and in other countries," Channi said.
The accused, identified as Ashish Kumar, tied his wife Ranjan Devi and son Vaibhav to the bed and set them on fire at his house in Mayurwa locality, which comes under the Triveniganj police station.
Nearly 100 students and resident doctors of the Government Medical College in Patiala in Punjab have tested positive for Covid-19, officials said on Tuesday. A retirement party and New Year Eve's party held on the college campus without following appropriate Covid-19 behaviour is blamed for alarming spike in the cases.
With 192 new cases of highly transmissible Covid variant Omicron detected in the last 24 hours, India's Omicron tally on Tuesday rose to 1,892 cases. Maharashtra and Delhi continue to be the worst-hit states with this new variant.
Badal in a statement here listed five major issues on which he said a prime ministerial package would lend credence and respectability to Modi's visit to Punjab on January 5. The former CM also drew the PM's attention to thousands of Sikh families awaiting justice for the massacre of 1984.
Addressing a gathering of Anganwadi workers in Morinda town, the Chief Minister declared that from now onwards the monthly emoluments of the Anganwadi workers stand increased from Rs 8,100 to Rs 9,500, mini-Anganwadi workers from Rs 5,300 to Rs 6,300 and helpers from Rs 4,050 to Rs 5,100.
Amid a surge in Coronavirus cases, the Delhi government on Tuesday decided to impose a weekend curfew from January 8. During weekdays, the metros and buses will run at full seating capacity with strict adherence to Covid-19 guidelines.
