So what if a poor man takes a ride?: Punjab CM on taking private flight

Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi, who has come under fire from the Opposition for taking a chartered flight from Chandigarh to Delhi – for a mere distance of 250 km – on Tuesday, has asked his critics why the matter was being made a topic of controversy.

“What is the problem with everyone if a gareeb (poor man) takes a jet ride?” Channi said on Wednesday while speaking to reporters during a visit to Dera Sachkhand Ballan in Amritsar. He, however, evaded questions on who will pay the bills for the ‘ride’.

On Tuesday Channi along with deputy chief ministers Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, OP Soni and Punjab Congress president Navjot Singh Sidhu flew in a private jet to Delhi to reportedly attend an emergency meeting on cabinet reshuffle.

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The incident, however, was slammed by the Opposition which questioned why the Congress leaders couldn’t get a car or take normal flight to travel the 250 km distance.

“After saying that they stand with the common man, INC leaders take private jets to travel just 250 KMs from Chandigarh to Delhi. Are there no normal flights or cars that can be used? Or is this chest-thumping aimed at the propagation of Gandhi family’s Delhi Darbar culture?” Shiromani Akali Dal said in a tweet.

AAP leader in Punjab Harpal Singh Cheema said the incident showed the true colours of the new Punjab cabinet. Taking a dig at Cheema who had called himself a ‘common man’ after being selected as the chief minister, he said people become common men by their actions and not by just saying it.

AAP state secretary Gagandeep Singh Chadha said the Congress was throwing away people’s hard-earned money on such visits, while the finance minister rues that the state coffers do not have enough money to spend for public welfare.

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“And then @MSBADAL says coffer are empty! Flying private jets at the cost of people’s hard earned money for a 250km distance & that too in no urgency, clears the intention of @INCPunjab. All this party wants is to enjoy the perks. One king gone another in making. God save Punjab,” he tweeted.

Earlier on Tuesday, Sidhu had posted a picture of him with Channi, deputy chief minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa and his aide Sumit Singh in front of a Learjet 45 aircraft.