Modi's 'life threat' gimmick aimed at toppling govt: Punjab CM
Darpan News Desk IANS, 06 Jan, 2022 02:22 PM
Chandigarh, Jan 6 (IANS) Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Channi on Thursday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'life threat' gimmick was aimed at toppling the democratically elected government in the state.
Addressing a gathering in Tanda in Hoshiarpur district after laying the foundation stone of development work, the Chief Minister said there was no threat to the life of the Prime Minister but he cancelled his programme on Wednesday because of the thin presence of people at the BJP's rally.
He said empty chairs would have greeted the Prime Minister due to which he went back to the national capital, citing the frivolous reason of a security threat.
Channi said the false pretext on which Modi cancelled his visit is a part of a larger conspiracy to defame Punjab and murder democracy in the state on the lines of what was done earlier in Jammu and Kashmir.
The Chief Minister said how can the life of the Prime Minister be threatened if the protestors were more than a kilometre away from him.
He said at the place where Modi's cavalcade stopped not even a slogan was raised, then how was his life threatened.
Channi reminded the Prime Minister that Punjabis have sacrificed their lives for the unity, integrity and sovereignty of the country, adding that they can never pose any danger to the life and security of the Prime Minister.
Channi said Modi is a respected leader of the nation but it doesn't behove a leader of his stature to indulge in such cheap theatricals.
He said the thin presence of people at the rally has exposed the poor position of the BJP in the state which is not going down well with its entire leadership.
US Vice President Kamala Harris has told Prime Minister Narendra Modi that she was asking Pakistan to act on terrorism and ensure that terror groups do not target New Delhi or Washington, according to India's Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla.
The BJP, which had been politically attacking Amarinder Singh in the last several years, has launched blistering attacks against Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu and the Congress high command (Gandhi family) with the help of Amarinder Singh's recent comments against Sidhu and the Congress.
Rahul Gandhi met Channi along with the party's Punjab in-charge Harish Rawat and General Secretary K.C. Venugopal late on Thursday. Before that, Rahul held a separate meeting with Rawat.
According to orders, he would also be the Principal Secretary, Personnel and Vigilance, besides Financial Commissioner, Development, and Principal Secretary, Food Processing, Horticulture and Governance Reforms and Public Grievances.
Senior SAD leaders Prem Singh Chandumajra, Maheshinder Grewal and Daljit Cheema on Tuesday said it was most unfortunate that even after admitting that some wrong elements wanted to defame the 'kisan sangharsh', Rajewal had neither secured an unconditional apology from those guilty of hooliganism nor subjected them to the process of law.
The Prime minister further said that the visit would be an occasion to consolidate relations with our strategic partners - Japan and Australia - and to take forward our collaboration on important global issues. In a departure statement, the Prime Minister said he will be visiting the US from September 22-25 at the invitation of President Joe Biden.
