Channi leads Punjab Congress protest over ‘stage purification’ row involving Kharge
Babushahi Bureau
Jalandhar (Punjab), September 7, 2026: Punjab: Chairperson of the Punjab Congress Campaign Committee and former Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi on Monday led a protest against what he described as the “mindset” of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
The protest was held over an alleged incident in which a stage was reportedly “purified” after Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge had stepped onto it.
Addressing the protesters, Channi alleged that the incident reflected caste-based discrimination, claiming that the stage was treated as “contaminated” because a Dalit leader had stood on it.
Channi demanded that an FIR be registered against those responsible for the alleged incident.
“We have staged a protest against the mindset of the RSS and the BJP, specifically regarding the incident where the stage was ‘purified’ after Mallikarjun Kharge had stepped onto it,” Channi said.
He alleged that the incident amounted to an insult to the Dalit community and said the protest was intended to convey Congress' opposition to such practices.
“This protest serves as an expression of our anger and a warning to the government,” Channi said.