Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini on Tuesday, 4 August accused the Indian National Congress of sidelining former Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi, calling it an insult to Dalits and other deprived sections of society. Saini made the remarks while speaking to the media in Chandigarh, targeting the Congress over what he described as decades of vote-bank politics at the expense of backward classes and Scheduled Castes.

Channi Sidelined, Dalits Insulted: Saini's Charge

Saini alleged that Channi, a leader who had stood firmly with the Punjab Congress during difficult times, was now being pushed to the margins by his own party. 'In a way, the Congress has insulted Dalits and other deprived sections of society,' the Haryana Chief Minister said. He called the development 'unfortunate,' arguing it exposed the Congress's pattern of using marginalised communities as political instruments before discarding them.

Saini Defends Centre on NEET Paper Leak

Responding to a query on the NEET paper leak controversy, Saini said the Union government had acted decisively, while the Congress and the INDIA alliance had consistently sought to mislead the country's youth on the issue. He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi had treated the matter with 'utmost seriousness,' enacting stringent laws against paper leaks, ensuring accountability, and making the recruitment process fully transparent. 'No one has the right to play with the aspirations and future of young people,' Saini said.

He contrasted the current framework with what he described as the Congress era, when, he claimed, recruitment processes lacked transparency, candidates travelled on the roofs of buses to reach examination centres, and leaked question papers went unpunished. 'Even when question papers were leaked, there was hardly any accountability, leaving young aspirants to bear the consequences,' he said.

Punjab Under the Microscope

Turning to Punjab, Saini questioned whether the state government had adopted any resolution condemning a recent pharmacy examination paper leak within its own borders — a pointed counter to the Punjab Assembly's resolution criticising paper leaks nationally. He also raised concerns about recently declared recruitment results in Punjab, saying the names of several successful candidates had themselves prompted serious questions about the fairness of the process.

Saini recalled a statement by Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Manish Sisodia, who had reportedly said that Punjab Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains would resign if a paper leak occurred in the state. The Haryana Chief Minister said the silence over recent incidents 'clearly exposed the gap between the party's words and actions.'

Political Context

Saini's remarks come amid a broader Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) offensive against both the Congress and the AAP ahead of upcoming electoral cycles. The attack on Channi's reported sidelining is part of a sustained BJP effort to highlight internal contradictions within the Congress on Dalit representation. Both the Congress and the AAP are yet to formally respond to Saini's specific allegations.