Punjab’s women commission seeks inquiry into video showing Channi touching Jagir Kaur’s chin, she says ‘out of respect’

Channi had met Kaur on Friday while filing his nomination papers for the Lok Sabha polls from Jalandhar. Kaur was accompanying Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) candidate Mohinder Singh Kaypee.

In the clip, Channi is seen holding Kaur’s hands and bowing down before her. Then both engaged in a banter during which Channi touched Kaur’s chin with his hand. Both leaders and their supporters then burst out laughing.

Channi’s political rivals started sharing the video while poking fun at him on social media.

Meanwhile, Channi said Kaur is like her elder sister and a motherly figure and added that he bowed down before her when he met her.

Reacting to the development in a Facebook post, Kaur said Channi held her hands with respect and bowed down. He also touched her chin in a respectful manner, she said.

“On May 10, when we went to submit the nomination papers of Kay Pee, Channi was there with his family…In a cordial atmosphere, everyone exchanged greetings…Mr Channi humbly greeted me and showed his respect…In this pleasant and respectful atmosphere, Mr Channi also touched my chin gently. I perceive all these events as respectful and harmonious,” said Kaur.

She said social media as well as several television channels removed “the part of felicitations expressed towards me, leaving only a brief clip, thus distorting the entire context”.

She described it as “full of mischief” and said it was painful for her, her family and her well-wishers.

Phillaur MLA Vikramjit Singh Chaudhary, a known Channi baiter, demanded action against the former CM claiming that his behaviour towards a Sikh woman was “disrespectful”. He had also demanded legal action against the Channi under Sections 295A and 354A for hurting religious sentiments and outraging the dignity and modesty of a woman.

Channi, the Congress’s Lok Sabha candidate from Jalandhar, came under fire from various political leaders recently for his “poll stunt” remark.

He had called the Poonch terror attack, in which an Indian Air Force (IAF) soldier was killed, a “stunt” aimed at helping the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) win the Lok Sabha polls.

A soldier was killed and four were injured as terrorists ambushed an IAF convoy in Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch district last week.

Replying to a question on the attack, Channi had said, “Yeh stuntbaazi ho rahi hai, hamle nahi ho rahe (These are all stunts, not attacks).” “Whenever elections are near, such stunts are performed to make the BJP win. There is no truth in it,” he had said.

– WITH PTI INPUTS