Charanjit Channi's birthday cake with words 'Sada Channi Jalandhar' leads to controversy

Deepkamal Kaur

Jalandhar, April 2

A controversy ensued over the birthday celebrations of former chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi as a video of him cutting a cake with the words ‘Sada Channi Jalandhar’ mentioned on it went viral.

As he cuts the cake at his place in Morinda, Congress leaders, including Adampur MLA Sukhwinder Kotli and party spokesperson Amritpal Bhonsle, are seen in the backdrop.

Kotli is seen raising the slogan ‘Sada Channi vich Jalandhar’. Channi first offers the cake to Kotli and then to others. The video led to a controversy as Channi has so far not been declared a candidate from Jalandhar and those not in favour of any such move have made an issue that the leaders were propping him as a candidate even as no such announcement has been made.

Kotli claimed, “I did not bring the cake. I gave him only a bouquet. He is a popular leader of our community and I had gone there just to wish him.”

Not only Kotli, even other MLAs from Doaba, including Rana Gurjeet Singh from Kapurthala and Hardev S Laddi Sherowalia from Shahkot, were among those who went to his place to wish him. Rana Gurjeet said, “I was going to Delhi and was to board a flight. I had some time so I chose to wish Channi ji personally.”

However, this did not go down well with Phillaur MLA Vikramjit Chaudhary. Vikramjit, who is against the candidature of Channi and has been saying that the ticket be given to his family, said, “I wish Channi ji on his birthday. But I am surprised as to why no one from Chamkaur Sahib offered him the cake, even though he represented the seat even during his tenure as CM. The cake has come from Jalandhar and could have got sour by the time it reached Morinda. Channi should ideally campaign for Manish Tewari, who has been MP from his area, and serve the people of Chamkaur Sahib.”

Vikramjit’s father Chaudhary Santokh Singh had been MP from the seat twice. After his demise last year, his mother Karamjit Kaur Chaudhary contested from the seat in the 2023 bypoll but lost to Sushil Rinku.

Vikramjit said, “Channi does not belong to Doaba and does not know its culture. Even Kotli, who joined the Congress only two years ago, does not know the Congress culture that the party does not give tickets by writing Jalandhar on a cake. This may have been the culture in the BSP, the party which he was part of earlier.”

The Phillaur MLA took a dig at Channi saying, “People of Jalandhar won’t be impressed by Channi’s antics like milking goats or flying kites.”