'It's men's fight, why harass Amritpal Singh’s wife Kirandeep Kaur?'

JALANDHAR: Taking exception to Sikh radical leader Amritpal Singh's wife being stopped from taking a flight to the UK from Amritsar and sending her back to her in-laws' home at Jallupur Khera village, former chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi said it was a fight of men and should be fought like that. There was no reason to harass his wife, he said and added that it was important to speak and stand with the truth.
Addressing a public meeting in support of Congress candidate Karamjit Kaur, Channi made it a point to speak on the issue."Today Amritpal's wife has been stopped at Amritsar airport and was sent back. She was going to meet her (parental) family (in the UK). Whether anybody else speaks up or not, I say that she was at home and if there was anything wrong, they could have detained her earlier. Why was she stopped now? Dheean bhainan sabh deean sanjhian (daughters and sisters are common). It is a fight of men and fight it like men. Why is his wife being harassed? What is her fault? Has her marriage become a crime? You have to stand with truth and truth has to be spoken out," Channi said and quoted Gurbani, meaning when somebody apeaks the truth, a liar feels the heartburn. As Channi spoke up for Amritpal's wife, Congress leaders on the stage clapped.
Addressing a rally at Virk village, where even leader of opposition Partap Singh Bajwa was present, Channi said the AAP government was challenging the Akal Takht and it was also against Dera Sachkhand Ballan and Parshuram shrine (at Phagwara). It was Channi's second visit related to the Jalandhar byelection. Earlier, he joined the Congress candidate in filing nomination and then held a press conference at her residence in which he strongly attacked chief minister Bhagwant Mann for challenging the authority of Akal Takht and urged the Sikhs to boycott him.
Within hours of his press conference, vigilance bureau preponed his appearance from April 20 to April 14 and the Congress made it a big issue, claiming it was a clear case of victimisation and misuse of vigilance according to political needs.
This development united the Congress and the party also started highlighting the 'Channi factor'. Being the first Dalit Sikh CM of Punjab, he has a good following in the Doaba region where Ravidasia community, to which Channi belongs, has strong presence and this contributed to Congress victory in five of the nine assembly segments of Jalandhar parliamentary seat in the 2022 assembly elections.
Channi once again sought to touch sentiments among Sikhs and also accused AAP government of being anti-Dalit on Thursday.