Congress MP Charanjit Singh Channi got embroiled in a political controversy after his remarks in the Lok Sabha on Thursday where he said that the detention of an elected MP from Punjab under the National Security Act (NSA) was part of an “undeclared Emergency” by the Centre.

He was referring to Waris Punjab De chief Amritpal Singh, who is detained in Assam under the NSA.

Recounting instances of “undeclared Emergency” in the country, the Congress MP said, “Farmers are called Khalistanis when they put forward their demands. Manipur has been burning for the past 1.5 years. Journalists are put behind bars for asking questions.”

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“They speak about the Emergency every day. But what about the undeclared Emergency in the country today? This too is Emergency that a famous young singer was killed and till today his family has not got justice. This too is an Emergency that a man who was elected as an MP by 20 lakh people in Punjab is behind bars by slapping NSA…freedom of speech…he is unable to present the views of the people of his constituency, here. This too is an Emergency,” Channi said.

Channi’s comments sparked an uproar in the house, with the BJP demanding answers from the Congress and Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi.

The Congress later distanced itself from Channi’s comments. Senior leader Jairam Ramesh posted on X that Channi’s views were his own and “do not reflect in any way the position of the Indian National Congress”.

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BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla said, “…Channi bats for radical pro-Khalistan separatist Amritpal Singh. Is this Jai Sanvidhan?” Union Minister Giriraj Singh said Channi’s remarks were an attack on the integrity of India.

Union Minister of State, Ravneet Singh Bittu, said, “A former CM is behaving like a traitor and is misleading the entire country through the House. He said that the NSA has been slapped on farmers. But who has it been actually slapped on – on those who wanted to break the country and Punjab. He said that NSA has been invoked against farmers and this is absolutely incorrect.”

Amritpal Singh had successfully contested the Lok Sabha polls as an Independent while lodged in a prison in Assam’s Dibrugarh, under the NSA. He won from Punjab’s Khadoor Sahib, defeating Kulbir Singh Zira of the Congress by nearly two lakh votes.