https://sputnikglobe.com/20210920/hes-a-threat-head-of-indias-national-commission-of-women-hits-out-at-new-punjab-state-chief-1089242070.html

'He's a Threat': Head of India's National Commission of Women Hits Out at New Punjab State Chief

'He's a Threat': Head of India's National Commission of Women Hits Out at New Punjab State Chief

Sputnik International

Charanjit Singh Channi became the first Dalit chief of Congress-ruled Punjab state in India after he was sworn-in on Monday. His name was approved by the... 20.09.2021, Sputnik International

2021-09-20T19:34+0000

2021-09-20T19:34+0000

2022-07-19T10:39+0000

punjab

indian national congress

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Hours after being made the Punjab state chief, Charanjit Singh Channi was slammed by Chairperson of India's National Commission for Women Rekha Sharma for being "not worthy for the post of state chief". Seeking his resignation, Sharma revealed that Channi had been accused of sexual misconduct at the height of the MeToo movement in 2018 when many women came forth with similar allegations against powerful men.Branding him a "threat to women safety", Sharma said that an investigation should be conducted against him. Channi's tenure as the Minister of Technical Education was mired in controversy after a female civil servant (the Indian Administrative Service) accused him of sending her an “inappropriate” text in October 2018. Then-state chief Capt Amarinder Singh later confirmed the incident, saying that the minister had apologised and the issue was resolved. "One can only imagine what would be the state of women safety in the state given the one at the helm of affairs is himself accused of threatening women security," said Sharma."If an IAS officer has been denied justice in the state how can the Congress ensure that the common women of Punjab would be safe?" she added. Reacting to the Women Commission chief's accusations against the new Punjab state chief, Rajni Bharti, a lecturer at a government technical education university, told Sputnik, "It is worrisome to know that the man on the top post has such a history of targeting women. Workplace harassment is a major issue that needs to be dealt with strictly."Pawandeep Kaur, a lawyer in Punjab's capital Chandigarh, told Sputnik, "It seems the case of sending an inappropriate message never reached the stage of a formal complaint." "Congress party seems to have brushed it off and now Channi's opponents are raking it up to malign him. It's all politics," she added.

punjab

2021

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punjab, indian national congress