The Congress termed the swearing in of Charanjit Singh Channi as Chief Minister a historic event in Punjab. The party is also happy that Channi’s appointment has happened without any murmurs within the party.

The Congress said it will face the election under the combined leadership of Channi and PCC president Navjot Singh Sidhu, which will be supervised by the party high command.

AICC general secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala said the first decision of the new government was to waive water and power bills of Dalits, poor and farmers. “It is an indication of our priorities,” Surjewala said.

‘Matter of pride’

He said it is a matter of great pride for every young and old congress worker, for every poor and disadvantaged and Dalit of this country that the singular decision of the Congress will fortify social justice foundations in this country. “It will open new doors of empowerment for our Dalit brothers and sisters, for our backward brothers and sisters, for our disadvantaged sections of our populace. It has proved what Rahul Gandhi always said, that he believes that the doors of echelons of power need to be opened for the poorest of the poor and they must lead us from the front and not be the bystanders in the gallery and that is what the Congress has today proved,” he claimed.

Surjewala said the Punjab government will take historical decision to ensure that social justice, equality and equanimity between all classes of people is restored totally. He thanked Amarinder Singh, the former chief minister, and said the magnanimity with which he supported Channi proves his maturity. He criticised the political opponents for attacking Channi.

Social justice

“Channi is the only Dalit Chief Minister of the Congress Party. Sardar Charanjit Singh Channi is the only Dalit Chief Minister in India today, today sworn in by the Congress Party and the other two Chief Ministers that Congress Party has come from backward classes, whether in Rajasthan, or whether in Chhattisgarh, that is the social justice being emulated by the Congress Party,” he said.

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