The Congress has distanced itself from remarks made by party MP Charanjit Singh Channi in the Lok Sabha on Thursday about jailed Sikh separatist Amritpal Singh.

Earlier in the day, Channi said that Singh, who was elected from Punjab’s Khadoor Sahib Lok Sabha constituency in the recent general election, had been imprisoned under the National Security Act as part of an “undeclared emergency” in India.

“They speak about Emergency every day,” Channi said in his speech in Parliament. “But what about the undeclared Emergency in the country today? ... This too is Emergency that a man who was elected as an MP by 20 lakh people in Punjab is behind bars under the NSA. He is unable to present the views of the people of his constituency, here [in the Lok Sabha]. This too is Emergency.”

The views expressed by Channi, former chief minister of Punjab and the incumbent MP from Jalandhar Lok Sabha constituency, did not reflect the party’s position, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said.

Singh contested the election as an independent candidate and is currently in Assam’s Dibrugarh jail.

In April 2023, the Punjab Police arrested the self-styled Sikh preacher after he had been on the run for over a month. The Punjab Police began cracking down on members of Waris Punjab De, or heirs of Punjab, days after Amritpal Singh and his supporters stormed a police station in Amritsar in February 2023. This came after one of Singh’s aides was arrested for alleged assault and attempted kidnapping.

Amritpal Singh, 29, had garnered a significant following with his speeches centred around Punjab’s youth and the Sikh religion. He had also publicly supported the demand for Khalistan, an independent state for Sikhs.

The Bharatiya Janata Party criticised Channi for his remarks, stating that it is “the Congress’ DNA that is coming out”.

“It was Congress who raised [former militant leader Jarnail Singh] Bhindranwale and divided Punjab through him and won elections later,” India Today quoted BJP spokesperson RP Singh as saying. “Today, they are standing with Amritpal... Since the election is going to be held in Punjab in 2027 and he [Channi] knows that they are going to lose the elections and hence, they are supporting someone who tries to divide the nation.”

The Congress must clarify if it stands by Channi’s comment, the BJP spokesperson said.

Also read: Explained: Who is Amritpal Singh and why is Punjab Police chasing him?