Channi meets Shah, demands action in Lakhimpur Kheri case
Darpan News Desk IANS, 05 Oct, 2021 10:27 AM
New Delhi, Oct 5 (IANS) Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi on Tuesday evening met Union Home Minister Amit Shah here and demanded strict action against the accused who trampled on the farmers in Lakhimpur Kheri.
Talking to the media after the meeting, he said, "I raised the issue of Lakhimpur Kheri violence with the Home Minister and said that such incidents cannot be tolerated."
I also demanded that the Congress leaders should be allowed to visit Lakhimpur Kheri where the violent incident happened on October 4, he added.
During the 45-minute long meeting with the Home Minister, Channi also discussed the security situation of the state and demanded that the border must be sealed properly to effectively prevent the smuggling of weapons from Pakistan.
The newly elected CM also said that he discussed the reopening of the Kartarpur Sahib Corridor and the Home Minister assured him that a decision on this issue will be taken soon.
Talking about the farmers' protest against the three farm laws, he said that he requested Shah that the Centre should take back these laws.
This was his second visit to the national capital and first meeting with Amit Shah after he became the Chief Minister.
Earlier, Channi came to Delhi after taking the command of the state to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi on October 1 and raised the three major issues of Punjab farmers with the Prime Minister in his first official meeting.
During the meeting with the PM, he raised the issue of the delay in procurement of Paddy in Punjab and also raised the three contentious farm laws as the prolonged agitation was damaging the agriculture driven economy of Punjab whose people had fought and died for the country.
Rejecting all opposition to his elevation, Congress interim President Sonia Gandhi appointed Navjot Singh Sidhu as the party's new Punjab unit President along with four Working Presidents.
Calling the reports of alleged snooping on prominent citizens using Israeli Pegasus spyware as "baseless", the ruling BJP on Monday said there is not a single shred of evidence so far that links either the central government or the party to this controversy.
Congress MPs from both Houses had met on Sunday afternoon at Rajya Sabha member Pratap Singh Bajwa's residence to discuss the issues related to Punjab and sought an appointment with Gandhi.
Apart from reviewing the security arrangements in the national capital, the Delhi Police have also strengthened the security in and around the Red Fort ahead of the Independence Day.
Police said acting on a specific information, Budgam Police along with the Army's 53 RR and 43 BN of the CRPF arrested one local terrorist linked with proscribed terror outfit LeT and recovered incriminating materials, arms and ammunition including one Chinese pistol, one magazine, eight live pistol rounds from his possession.
As the Pegasus spyware scandal unravelled within and outside Parliament, he termed it a "shocking assault" on India's democratic polity by the Union government, which had compromised the national security with "this blatantly disgraceful act".
