Former Congress Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi’s recent “focus” on Sikh issues has sparked unease within sections of the party.Concerns grew after Tarsem Singh, father of jailed Khadoor Sahib MP and acting chief of Akali Dal (Waris Punjab De) Amritpal Singh, praised Channi for speaking up for the Sikh community, a video clip that Channi later shared on his social media handles. The development came days after Channi sharply criticised party colleagues who had eulogised 1984 anti-Sikh riots convict Sajjan Kumar.This is not the first time Tarsem Singh has praised Channi. Earlier, he had backed the former Chief Minister after Channi raised the issue of alleged injustice to Amritpal in the Lok Sabha in July 2024.A senior Congress leader said Channi was foraying into Panthic politics, an area from which the party has traditionally kept a safe distance. The Congress leadership had previously distanced itself from Channi’s remarks in the Lok Sabha, with party leader Jairam Ramesh clarifying that the statement did not reflect the official stance of the party.When questioned about his position, Channi defended his stance, stating that there was nothing unusual in highlighting Sikh issues. “I myself, being a Sikh, feel that pain regarding the unaddressed issues of the Sikh community,” he said.\I\IPolitical analysts view Channi’s aggressive posture on panthic matters as a calculated strategy to woo core Sikh voters, who traditionally do not align with the Congress. “The fact that a Congress leader is being lauded by leaders of Waris Punjab De — an outfit that tends to polarise radical votes—cannot be overlooked,” noted party insiders.Party leaders noted that Channi appears to be following former CM Capt Amarinder Singh, who had resigned from the party in 1984 following Operation Bluestar and later called out party leaders allegedly involved in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, By doing so, Capt Amarinder was able to successfully leverage Panthic issues and woo voter in the state.