In Punjab, the Congress high command has handed over the command of the state to Ranjit Singh Channi. The Sardar of Punjab has become Channi since Monday. But soon after the coronation, the new chief of Punjab has been embroiled in controversies. Demand for resignation has started against Charanjit Singh Channi to become the CM of Punjab. National Commission for Women chairperson Rekha Sharma has sought her resignation over the #MeToo allegations leveled against Channi a few years back. Rekha Sharma said in a statement on Monday that, it is very shameful and objectionable that such a person has been made the Chief Minister of Punjab. We do not want any other woman to face the same experience and harassment that a woman IAS officer had to go through.
Channi a threat to women’s safety?
According to the Chairperson of the Women’s Commission, the Punjab Women’s Commission took cognizance of the matter, yet the state government did not take any action. “It can be imagined what will be the situation of women’s safety in a state where the person in charge is himself accused of posing a threat to women’s safety,” he said. Commission chief Rekha Sharma said, Channi is a threat to women’s safety. There should be an inquiry against them. He doesn’t deserve to be the chief minister. I urge Sonia Gandhi to remove him from the post of Chief Minister. The allegations were leveled against Channi during the Me Too movement of 2018. The State Commission for Women took suo motu cognizance of the matter and the Speaker sat on a dharna demanding her removal, but nothing happened. Channi was then a minister in the Amarinder government.
What is the whole matter?
In the year 2018, a woman IAS officer had alleged that Charanjit Singh Channi had sent her obscene messages. Channi was the Technical Education Minister of Punjab at that time. However, the woman IAS officer did not file a complaint regarding this and the matter was resolved between the two. On May 3 this year, Punjab Women’s Commission chairperson Manisha Gulati told the state government that she wanted justice for the IAS officer, who has now been transferred outside Punjab. She had said that she would go on a hunger strike if the state government does not apprise her of its stand on the issue in a week. He had said that he has written a letter to the Chief Secretary demanding an action taken report of the government. After Channi became the CM, once again many people are raising this issue.
