Under fire over ‘Poonch poll stunt’ remark, Punjab ex-CM Charanjit Channi now cites Pulwama attack

Aparna Banerji

Jalandhar, May 6

Under fire for calling the Poonch terror attack a “pre-poll stunt of the BJP”, Jalandhar Congress candidate Charanjit Singh Channi today said he was proud of the country’s soldiers but targeted the Centre over “intelligence failures that were leading to terror strikes and the death of security personnel”.

Poonch attackers’ sketches released

• Security forces on Monday released sketches of two terrorists behind the attack on IAF convoy in Poonch
• The J&K Police have also detained around 20 persons for questioning
• Two or three ultras are believed to have carried out the attack

The former Punjab Chief Minister cited the 2019 Pulwama terror attack in which 40 CRPF personnel had died saying the Centre was yet to ascertain who was behind it.

Countering Channi, Punjab BJP president Sunil Jakhar alleged that the Congress leader was speaking the same language as Canadian PM Justin Trudeau. Jakhar taunted Channi for behaving like “sixth eye”, a parallel he drew to Canada’s ‘Five Eyes’ intelligence alliance that Trudeau had claimed alerted his government on the alleged Indian role in the killing of Khalistani activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.

In a social media post, Channi said, “We are proud of our soldiers…. But ahead of the 2019 parliamentary poll, 40 jawans were killed. The government couldn’t ascertain who carried out the terror attack. Again elections have come and again our jawans have been attacked. I want to ask the government who are the ones behind the attacks. Why does intelligence failure take place?”

Channi also cited former J&K Governor Satya Pal Malik’s claims that “warnings over the Pulwama attack were ignored”. The former CM claimed that Jakhar, when in the Congress, had even demanded the resignation of PM Narendra Modi after the death of the 40 soldiers. “Today again a soldier got martyred and I want to ask Jakhar, what is your stand now,” he said.

Hitting back, Jakhar said being a Punjabi, the country’s security was of utmost importance to him. “It’s my duty to motivate the defence personnel. These questions (on the Poonch attack) aren’t being raised by Channi. He is speaking the same language as Trudeau. Channi spent months in Canada saying he was researching. I believe he researched on how to belittle the country and drive a nail in the Congress coffin,” he said.

Jakhar also said he had never called the Pulwama attack a conspiracy. “I had only said BJP leaders should have paid tributes to the martyrs by visiting their homes. I still stand by it,” he said.