No objection to slogans in favour of Channi, other Congress leaders: Warring, Baghel
Punjab Congress leaders dismiss reports of discord at Barnala meeting, allege attempts to create controversy
Babushahi Bureau
Barnala (Punjab), August 2, 2026: Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring and the party’s Punjab in-charge Bhupesh Baghel on Sunday said there was nothing wrong with party workers raising slogans in support of senior Congress leaders, including former Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi.
The clarification came after slogans in favour of Channi were raised during a Congress meeting in Barnala, where the party held a special organisational gathering under its “Har Booth Congress Ka” campaign in preparation for the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections.
Responding to reports that the sloganeering had led to disruption or controversy at the meeting, Warring and Baghel said party workers were free to express support for senior leaders.
They said there was no objection if workers raised slogans in favour of Channi, Leader of the Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa or senior Congress leader Shamsher Singh Dullo.
The Congress leaders maintained that the meeting was largely conducted in a peaceful atmosphere and said the speeches of Warring and Barnala MLA Kuldeep Singh Kala Dhillon were heard by party workers without any disruption.
They alleged that a section of the media and the ruling Aam Aadmi Party government were giving undue prominence to the sloganeering and portraying it as a sign of differences within the Punjab Congress.
The party leaders also alleged that the person who raised the slogans could have been an outsider attempting to disrupt the meeting. However, no evidence was presented to support the allegation.
Addressing party workers, Congress leaders criticised the AAP government over issues including alleged corruption and the law-and-order situation in Punjab. They claimed that public dissatisfaction with the government was growing and expressed confidence that the Congress would perform strongly in the 2027 Assembly elections.
The Congress leadership also claimed that the party was gaining support across Punjab and that leaders from other political parties were joining the Congress.
The Barnala meeting was organised as part of the party’s booth-level outreach and organisational campaign ahead of the Assembly elections. Congress leaders said the party would enter the electoral contest unitedly and work to strengthen its presence across the state.