Punjab Congress feud widens, MP faces complaint over parallel paper leak protest

Charanjit Singh Channi skipped Parliament and led a Faridkot protest, triggering a complaint to the Congress high command. The episode has exposed the Punjab Congress power struggle as leaders clash over discipline and organisational control.Jalandhar MP Charanjit Singh Channi in trouble as Punjab Congress chief writes to Rahul, Kharge over parallel protest (Photo: ITG)Fresh signs of factionalism have surfaced within the Punjab Congress after Jalandhar MP Charanjit Singh Channi skipped Parliament on a day when Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi addressed the Lok Sabha and instead led a protest in Punjab over the alleged paper leak issue. The move has now led to a formal complaint against Channi being sent to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi and AICC general secretary KC Venugopal, seeking disciplinary action. A copy of the complaint has been accessed by India Today.According to party sources, Channi's absence has raised concerns within the Congress leadership, particularly because party MPs had been instructed to remain present in the House. A message circulated by Punjab Congress MP Gurjit Singh Aujla on the party's WhatsApp group had asked all MPs to attend the proceedings. While the remaining six Congress MPs from Punjab were present during Rahul Gandhi's speech targeting the BJP over the alleged police action against student protesters at Jantar Mantar, Channi was absent.The controversy has been further fuelled by Channi's social media campaign for the Faridkot protest. Party insiders pointed out that the promotional posters and posts prominently featured only Channi's photograph, with neither the Congress flag nor images of senior leaders, including Rahul Gandhi. Senior leaders are learnt to have viewed the campaign as an attempt to project an independent political identity rather than an official party programme, especially since the Congress had already planned its own protest on July 31."This is unacceptable. How can any MP remain absent from Parliament after a whip has been issued?" a senior AICC functionary said, indicating that the party high command has taken note of the developments. PROTEST EXPOSES ORGANISATIONAL DIVIDEThe Faridkot demonstration became the latest flashpoint in the ongoing power struggle within the Punjab Congress. The protest was organised by former MLA Kushaldeep Singh 'Kikki' Dhillon, who is considered close to Channi and is among the leaders advocating a change in the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) leadership.Several senior leaders aligned with Channi attended the event, including MLAs Rana Gurjit Singh, Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa and Barindermeet Singh Pahra, besides former minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu, former MP Mohammad Sadique and several former legislators.However, Faridkot District Congress Committee president Navdeep Singh Babbu Brar and leaders associated with Punjab Congress chief Amarinder Singh Raja Warring stayed away. The district unit had already planned its own protest on July 31 over the paper leak issue but later postponed it after consultations with the state leadership.DISTRICT CHIEF WRITES TO HIGH COMMANDThe parallel protest prompted Faridkot District Congress Committee president Navdeep Singh Babbu Brar to write to Kharge, Rahul Gandhi and KC Venugopal, alleging gross organisational indiscipline.In his complaint, Brar alleged that Dhillon organised the programme without consulting the district unit despite there being no official concept of a "halka in-charge" in the party's organisational structure. He further claimed that Dhillon had repeatedly ignored the district leadership, skipped organisational meetings and projected himself above party discipline.Brar also objected to posters announcing the participation of Channi and Leader of Opposition in the Punjab Assembly Partap Singh Bajwa, arguing that they created the impression of a divided Congress. He urged the central leadership to intervene, warning that repeated challenges to district presidents would undermine Rahul Gandhi's organisational restructuring initiative.PARALLEL POWER CENTRE?Sources in the party said the Congress high command has already conveyed that Amarinder Singh Raja Warring will continue as Punjab Congress president, ending speculation over a possible leadership change.According to senior party leaders, the Channi camp has now shifted its focus to consolidating its support base across Punjab. The objective, they claim, is to demonstrate organisational strength ahead of Assembly ticket distribution and thereby press for a larger share of nominations.However, leaders close to Punjab affairs in-charge Bhupesh Baghel dismissed the strategy, saying ticket allocation would be based primarily on electoral winnability rather than the numerical strength of any faction.Party insiders also said that despite repeated efforts by the AICC to broker peace between the Warring and Channi camps, recent developments suggest that parallel political activity continues, undermining the message of unity that the state leadership is trying to project.WARRING IN DELHI, BAGHEL TO REVIEW PARTY ORGANISATIONWhile Channi remained in Punjab, PPCC chief Amarinder Singh Raja Warring attended Parliament and also participated in Congress protests in New Delhi demanding the resignation of Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann over the alleged lathi-charge on sanitation workers in Barnala.Meanwhile, Punjab Congress affairs in-charge Bhupesh Baghel will begin a 10-day organisational tour of the state from Thursday. During the visit, he is scheduled to hold meetings with district presidents and party workers from Fatehgarh Sahib, Mohali, Patiala, Sangrur, Barnala, Bathinda, Muktsar, Fazilka, Ferozepur, Moga, Faridkot, Ludhiana, Malerkotla, Khanna, Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar and Rupnagar.The meetings are expected to focus on strengthening the organisation from the booth level upwards, reviewing election preparedness and finalising the roadmap for the upcoming Punjab Assembly elections.The latest developments have once again brought the Congress's internal divisions into sharp focus at a time when the party is attempting to project unity ahead of the Assembly polls. While the central leadership continues to emphasise organisational discipline and collective strategy, parallel political messaging from rival factions threatens to undercut that effort.- EndsPublished By: Priyanka KumariPublished On: Jul 30, 2026 20:27 IST