Stop questioning our nationalistic credentials and defaming Punjab, says Punjab CM Charanjit Singh Channi

In a befitting reply to those questioning the nationalistic credentials of Punjab, Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi on Thursday made it clear that Punjabis have never ever shied away from making sacrifices for the nation and are as patriot a race as any other in the country.

Referring to Wednesday’s events when Prime Minister Narendra Modi returned from Punjab without addressing a rally organized by the state unit of the BJP, the CM said that a low turnout of barely 700 people at the venue had prompted him to cancel it but blame was sought to be pinned on the Punjab government citing a security threat to his life.

"The truth is that five days before the scheduled rally of the Prime Minister, the Special Protection Group (SPG) took over the landing spot, rally site and each security detail but later on the Prime Minister's cavalcade suddenly took the land route," said Channi, adding that the route was cleared by the SPG.

The CM reiterated that if there is ever any danger to the Prime Minister’s life, every Punjabi is nationalist enough to shed his blood and face bullets as they have done before in the service of the nation.

Channi asked the forces inimical to Punjab to stop defaming the state. He further questioned what the intelligence paraphernalia around the Prime Minister was doing had they sensed any threat to the latter's safety.

Channi also asked ‘anti-Punjab forces’ to shun vendetta politics and advised them to ponder over why the people, especially the farmers, didn't like them.

Taking on AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal, the Chief Minister likened him to British colonialists who are out to capture Punjab aided by cronies such as Bhagwant Mann.

Further, the Chief Minister said that Bikram Singh Majithia was a fugitive who is on the run from law owing to his misdeeds.