In his first address as the Punjab Chief Minister, Charanjit Singh Channi urged the Centre to withdraw the three farm laws. “We have to strengthen Punjab. It is the state of farmers. I appeal to the Centre to withdraw the farm laws. I will sever my head but I won’t let any harm come to the farmers,” he said.
Farmers in Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana have been protesting against three contentious farm laws. Several rounds of meetings between the Centre and farmer leaders have ended in deadlock.
Channi, the first Dalit chief minister of the state, said he will become the voice of the common people of Punjab and will always remain accessible to the people.
This government is of the people of Punjab, he said, adding that Congress’ ideology is to take everyone along.
On his predecessor, Amarinder Singh, Channi said he did good work as CM.
The oath-taking ceremony, which was scheduled to commence at 11 am, was slightly delayed. Rahul Gandhi was present at the ceremony.
Channi was administered oath by Governor Banwarilal Purohit at a ceremony held at the Raj Bhawan here. He took the oath in Punjabi.
Sources said that Soni’s name as Deputy CM was cleared by the party shortly before the ceremony.
While Randhawa is a Jat Sikh, Soni is a Hindu face as the Congress sought to balance caste equations with less than six months left for the Punjab Assembly polls.
Channi’s appointment will allow the party to play the Dalit card in the elections.
Nearly 32 per cent of the state’s population, counting both Sikhs and Hindus, is from the scheduled caste community. Its biggest concentration is in the Doaba region.
Besides Rahul Gandhi, prominent among those who were present at the event included AICC general secretary Harish Rawat, party leader Ajay Maken, former chief minister Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, Punjab Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu and Manpreet Singh Badal.
Amarinder Singh, who resigned as chief minister two days back, was conspicuous by his absence Thanking the party leadership, Channi told reporters here that the party has given a common person a great honour.