Punjab Elections 2022: Nitish Kumar hits out at CM Charanjit Channi’s ‘bhaiyas’ remark, calls it ‘appalling’

As the Punjab assembly elections 2022 are approaching, political leaders are battling it out through remarks and comments. Just a day after Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi’s ‘bhaiyas of Bihar and UP’ remark, it received a lot of flak from opposition leaders.

After CM Channi’s remark on not letting "Uttar Pradesh, Bihar de bhaiye" enter the state, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar hit out at the Congress leader, expressing his discontent with the statement, and calling it “nonsense and appalling.”

Criticizing the statement made by the Punjab chief minister, Nitish Kumar called his words appalling, asking if Channi even knows how much the people of Bihar have served the state of Punjab over the years.

CM Nitish Kumar said, “This is nonsense. I am appalled at how people can say such things. Does he (Channi) not know how many people from Bihar live there (in Punjab) and how much they have served that land.”

Bihar CM Nitish Kumar, who leads a coalition government with the BJP in the state, said that he was “stunned” at the remarks made by CM Channi in a poll rally in Punjab. Kumar said, “I am stunned at how people can make such remarks.”

This comes after Charanjit Channi, alongside Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi, said in an election rally, “Priyanka Gandhi is Punjab's daughter-in-law, she is the bahu of Punjabis. Bhaiyas from Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Delhi cannot come here and rule. We will not allow UP bhaiyas to stray into Punjab.”

Triggering a massive row, Channi’s remarks about the people of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar also drew criticism from Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal, who is the CM of Delhi, also hit out at Channi, calling his remarks “shameful.”

While addressing a poll rally in the Fazilka city of Punjab, PM Modi hit out at the Congress party, saying that 10th Sikh Guru, Guru Gobind Singh, and Guru Ravidas, a 15th-century social reformer and a Dalit icon revered in Punjab were born in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, respectively.

He further questioned Charanjit Singh Channi’s statements, asking if the two gurus would be barred from entering Punjab, as per his remarks.