Chandigarh (Punjab): New Punjab CM Charanjit Singh Channi's travel from Chandigarh to Delhi in a 16-seater jet has landed him into a controversy. The issue hogged the limelight after Navjot Singh Sidhu had tweeted the image on Tuesday. Responding to questions from the media two days after the controversy erupted, the Chief Minister said, "What's the problem if a poor man's son boards a jet?"
The Punjab CM Channi had made the remark while interacting with media on having visited Dera Ballan in Jalandhar on Wednesday. Later, the CM had also visited DAV University and spoke with students.
Also read: New Punjab CM's ride to Delhi on 16-seater jet draws flak from opposition
Punjab's new CM had faced flak from the opposition for travelling in a jet plane to Delhi. Punjab Pradesh Congress Chief Navjot Singh Sidhu having shared a photograph of him with CM Channi and Deputy CM Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa Randhawa in front of the plane created ripples in political circles.
In a stern remark, a senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader said people's money is for ministers only. Further, she said that the chief minister has spent more than one year's salary of 15 employees of 108 ambulances service on his single visit to Delhi.
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Shiromani Akali Dal also took a jibe at the CM. "After saying that they stand with the common man, INC leaders take private jets to travel just 250 km 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?" tweeted SAD.