Channi, Randhawa meet Venugopal, say will abide by high command decision, Rahul their leader

New Delhi, Jul 16 (PTI) Amid infighting in the Punjab Congress, former state chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi and former deputy chief minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa met party leaders here on Thursday, professing adherence to the party high command's decision. The two leaders, part of a faction challenging the party's decision to retain Amrinder Singh Warring as the Punjab unit chief, met AICC general secretary, Organisation, K C Venugopal for talks. The two also paid a courtesy visit to party general secretary Randeep Surjewala, saying they share a personal relationship with him. Channi's meeting with Rahul Gandhi, however, could not happen on Thursday. Channi and Randhawa have raised a banner of revolt against Warring, who has been asked by the high command to continue as party chief ahead of assembly election in the state early next year. "Several leaders were called here today and we presented our point of view. I want to make one thing absolutely clear and that is that we stand with the party. We respect the party high command and Rahul Gandhi is our leader and we love him and will stand by him. Kharge ji is our party president and all our workers and leaders stand firmly with the party and will continue to do so," Channi told reporters after meeting Venugopal. He also dismissed murmurs of widening rift in the party ranks in Punjab. "This is an unnecessary media trial which was uncalled for. We have no intention of embarrassing anyone or belittling anyone. We simply want to take the party forward in Punjab, and we have presented our case. The high command heard us and the final decision has always been with the high command. Whatever decision it takes, we will accept it and move forward accordingly," he said. "All is well. We are committed to the party, we will toe the party line and we respect our leaders and we are with our leader Rahul Gandhi," the former Punjab chief minister added. Earlier, the revolt against Warring's retention forced the top leadership in Delhi to rush Bhupesh Baghel to Punjab to broker peace with the disaffected leaders. Baghel stayed in Punjab for six days, met the leaders, and gave a report to Venugopal in Delhi on Wednesday. Later, asked about the likelihood of the party revoking its decision on Warring, Baghel said, leadership change is not a "game of puppets." Congress Legislature Party leader in the state assembly, Partap Singh Bajwa, also met Venugopal at his residence but did not disclose what transpired during the meeting. PTI SKC VN VN