Supporting the Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi’s decision to appoint Charanjit Singh Channi as Punjab’s Chief Minister, senior party leader Sunil Jakhar on Friday said that Gandhi scion has broken the glass ceiling but “there is a danger of divisive forces using it to fragment the society”. Hitting out at the Congress party’s opponents for attributing motives to its choice of the Chief Minister in the State, Jakhar described Channi’s appointment as a “bold decision”, adding that the Congress’ “political opponents” are literally missing the forest for the trees in attributing political motives to the party’s choice of Chief Minister.
Calling Channi’s taking office as Punjab Chief Minister a “watershed moment”, Punjab Congress’ former president said that the ‘warp and weft’ of the state’s social fabric must be respected, maintained, and nurtured as 'Raj Dharma'.
Jakhar, taking to Twitter two days after his “chance” meeting with Gandhi siblings at Chandigarh airport, said that the move to appoint Channi was “very much rooted in the ethos of Sikhism, is nevertheless a watershed moment not only for the polity but also for the social fabric of the state”.
“The warp and weft of this fabric is a complex interplay of aspirations and anxieties of all sections of society. This must be respected, maintained and nurtured as 'Raj Dharma' at all times,” he said.
Jakhar's statement came a day after he met Congress' Punjab in-charge and General Secretary Harish Rawat on Wednesday in the national capital. Jakhar travelled to Delhi with Rahul Gandhi and party general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Wednesday evening when they were returning from Shimla. Though it was speculated that Rahul took feedback from him on expansion, Jakhar called it a “chance meeting”. In what seemed like a veiled dig at former Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh, Jakhar said that if handled in an “inept or biased” manner, the prevailing robust brotherhood and amity of Punjab can shatter like a “glasshouse”.
“But there is clear and present danger of Punjabiat being put to test once again with usual divisive forces already weaponising this transformative initiative to fragment the society. This threat just cannot be wished away. Also, coupled with this, if handled in inept and/or biased manner the prevailing robust brotherhood and amity, which has always been the pride of Punjab even in very testing times, can be as just fragile and shatter just as easily as a 'glasshouse',” he said in a long Twitter post.
He added that the new Congress dispensation “is being keenly watched whether they have what it takes”.
Capt Amarinder, who stepped down as Punjab Chief Minister on Monday, declared that he would oppose any move to make state Congress president Navjot Singh Sidhu chief ministerial face of Congress Government in the State saying that he will be a “disaster for Punjab”.
The statement also assumes significance as Jakhar, party’s prominent Hindu face, had emerged as a frontrunner for the Chief Minister’s post with Rahul’s backing after Capt Amarinder resigned following months of internal strife that left the state unit divided. His name was almost final at one stage, but a section of party leaders, including Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, Ambika Soni, and some MLAs, pressed for a Sikh Chief Minister. Later, Jakhar had also took a dig at “petty-minded small people occupying high positions” for trying to divide Punjab on the basis of race, caste, or identities.