Channi’s remarks on Poonch attack violate poll code, says Punjab CEO
: A week after former chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi, who is Congress candidate from Jalandhar, dubbed the May 4 Poonch terror attack on Indian Air Force (IAF) convoy ‘an election stunt by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)’, Punjab chief electoral officer (CEO) termed it a violation of the model code of conduct.
CEO Sibin C said that the Punjab poll body has sought advice from the election commission of India for further action in the matter.
Sibin C said that based on the report from district election officer, Jalandhar, the violation of the MCC has been made out in the matter. “The comments offered (by Channi) are unproved and unverified allegations,” he added. As per officials, the CEO’s office is waiting for orders from the ECI to initiate action.
Channi’s comments came after an IAF convoy was ambushed by a group of terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch region on May 4, which left five officials injured. One IAF soldier succumbed to his injuries later in the day.
Channi, while talking to media during his election campaign on May 5 said: “This is ‘stuntbaazi’. And not the (terror) attacks. When elections come, such stunts are done to make the BJP win. These are pre-planned attacks, there is no truth in them...” BJP had lodged a complaint before the ECI on
May 7, demanding registration of an FIR against Channi under the provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), violation of the model code of conduct, and sought unconditional apology from the ex-CM.
On May 6, Channi clarified his comments and said he was demanding a probe into the ambush so that the “real perpetrators” could be brought to book. “Even before the 2019 general elections, 40 jawans lost their lives in the Pulwama attack but the Union government has not found out who executed the attack to date,” he said, drawing sharp reactions from the BJP leadership.