Punjab CM Channi 'regrets' Jan 5 episode: tells PM Modi ‘Aap jiyen Qayamat tak’ ... may u live till eternity

“Aap jiyen qayamat tak aur qayamat naa aaye"..... "May you live till eternity and that last spell stays away for ever" 

- Punjab CM tells PM Modi during Covid19 virtual conference !!

(Comes a day after Assam CM says Channi should be arrested, and other BJP CMs including Yogi flagged Pak-border issue in the episode) 

File Snap : Social Media 

Punjab CM Charanjit Singh Channi was apparently a 'changed man' ! 

Under attack from top BJP leaders and Chief Ministers including the likes of Yogi Adityanath and Himanta Biswa Sarma, Punjab CM on Thursday wished the PM Narendra Modi a long life saying, “Aap jiyen Qayamat tak aur Qayamat naa aaye.”

The January 5 breach in Modi's security is now being probed by a Supreme Court appointed panel. Sharp words have been exchanged between Congress and BJP leaders on the issue and Assam Chief Minister Himnata Biswa Sarma, incidentally a former Congressman himself, has demanded that Channi should be arrested for conspiring to harm the Prime Minister. 

The CM was speaking during the Covid 19 review meeting the Prime Minister chaired on Jan 13.

In the meeting, Channi also urged Mr Modi to expedite the commencement of pending health infrastructure projects in Punjab that could not be inaugurated on January 5 due to the lapse in PM’s security.

Sources also said the Chief Minister “regretted the January 5 incident and the fact that the PM had to return without dedicating major projects to the people”. 

Medical colleges of Hoshiarpur and Kapurthala and a satellite centre of PGI Chandigarh in Ferozepur were to be inaugurated on January 5.

But the official trip was abandoned after his convoy was stranded on a flyover in Ferozepur region for 15 to 20 minutes on Wednesday, Jan 5, 2022. 

Just before departing Punjab, PM Modi also reportedly sounded his displeasure on the manner his security and official tour was conducted by Punjab police and the state government.

Unlike in the past and unlike elsewhere, Mr Modi's visit to Ferozepur on Wednesday, Jan 5, was more than the normal routine political and developmental works-related exercise.

It was seen as a new path-finder in itself as in the last few months, things have been quite different and extra ordinary for Punjab politics.
The repeal of three contentious farm laws only shows the importance of the state and its farmers and other stakeholders.

In the words of former Punjab CM, Capt Amarinder Singh, the Prime Minister has been personally always concerned about Punjab and the Punjabis.

The Prime Minister visit to Ferozepur was to lay the foundation stone of multiple development projects worth over Rs 42,750 crore. 

Mr Modi had last visited Punjab on November 9, 2019 to inaugurate the Kartarpur Corridor. 

On Jan 6, Modi briefed President Kovind on the issue

The CM thanked the prime minister for the support extended by the Government during the first and the second waves of Covid 19 and the medical oxygen supply given to Punjab to address the second wave crisis.

In the meeting, Channi, top sources said, urged the PM to expedite the commencement of pending health infrastructure projects in Punjab that could not be inaugurated on January 5 due to the lapse in PM’s security, a matter that is not before a Supreme Court appointed committee.

Sources said the CM “regretted the January 5 incident and the fact that the PM had to return without dedicating major projects to the people”. 

Medical colleges of Hoshiarpur and Kapurthala and a satellite centre of PGI Chandigarh in Ferozepur were to be inaugurated on January 5 when the PM returned after having to stay stranded on a flyover for 15 to 20 minutes.

Asking people to stay alert but to avoid panic, the PM said vaccines were the best tools against Omicron and other Covid 19 variants and it was important to fight vaccine hesitancy and myths.

“While making any strategy, it is very important to keep in mind that there should be minimum damage to the livelihood of common people, economic activities and the momentum of the economy should be maintained. It would be better to focus more on local containment,” the PM said during his closing remarks at a Covid 19 review with chief ministers as India saw 2,47,417 new infections, the highest in 236 days and active cases rose to 11,17,531, the highest in 216 days.

The PM also stressed the need to strengthen home isolation to minimize the burden on hospitals and said, “Better tracking and treatment in home isolation will lower the need for hospitalization and boost people’s confidence.”

The PM said hard work was the sole path India needed to take in the fight against Omicron and victory was its sole option.

He asked the states to follow the past strategy of preemptive, proactive and collective approach as the mantra of victory and hailed India’s Covid vaccine statistics.

“India has given the first dose to about 92 percent of the adult population. The coverage of the second dose has also reached around 70 percent and there are still three days to go since the national Covid inoculation drive began on January 16, 2021. In just ten days, over 3 crore adolescents have been vaccinated. This signals the strength of our system,” the PM said urging states to enhance precaution dose coverage to firewall the health army of India. The precaution dose is available for health and frontline workers and 60 plus people with comorbidities.

Assuring health infrastructure support to states, the PM said several states had ramped up their readiness for Covid using the Centre’s emergency package of Rs 23,000 crore.

The PM listed 800 pediatric units, 1.5 lakh new ICU beds, over 5000 special ambulances, 950 liquid medical oxygen storage tanks that have been added under the package.

He also asked the states to prepare for any potential future waves, noting that the suspicion around Omicron was settling and the variant was known to infect much faster than any other.