Among many other internal rifts already going on within the Congress party, now another issue revolving around caste politics has also been added to the list. It is noteworthy that as the Punjab Assembly polls are approaching in 2027, the regional politics has started to heat up. The already pre-existing internal rift in the Congress seems to only get deeper with the passing time.
The controversy stems from a statement made by the former Chief Minister and Jalandhar MP Charanjit Singh Channi, where he raised questions on the uneven distribution of positions within the party. He objected that the state party president, the Leader of Opposition in the Punjab Assembly as well as the president of the party’s student wing NSUI are all Jat Sikhs.
He adds that the party leadership has failed to give adequate representation to the 32% Dalit population of the state. This issue was brought to light by Channi during a State Congress Committee’s SC cell meeting held in Chandigarh on Saturday. Chairman of the All India Congress Committee (AICC) SC (Scheduled Caste) Department Rajendra Pal Gautam, Co-incharge of Punjab Congress Ravindra Uttam Rao Dalvi, and Punjab Congress President Amarinder Singh Raja Warring were among the attendees of the meeting. There was a notable uproar during Channi’s speech after which he stopped from commenting further.
Following the uproar and commotion, the Punjab Congress President Amarinder Singh Raja Warring issued a statement on the matter. Responding to Channi he says, despite losing twice Channi was made a MP, he adds that he is also the member of Congress Working Committee (CWC).
Warring says that the CWC is among the highest ranks in the party and Channi is a member of it. He further adds that Channi is also the chairman of the Lok Sabha Agriculture Committee. Talking further Warring adds that Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa was about to be made the Chief Minister, but at the last moment Channi was picked instead. He asserts that Dalits are and will remain the crown of Congress party, but despite that the party remains secular, and no caste-based discriminations take place in the Congress.
