Hans News Service Chandigarh

FormerPunjab chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi on Thursday said party high command allowed him to skip the Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting as he was to appear in an examination at Panjab University here. The meeting of the CWC, the party’s highest decision-making body, was held in Delhi .

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, senior party leaders Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and several top leaders and special invitees besides all four chief ministers of Congress-ruled states attended the marathon meeting held in the aftermath of the students’ agitation on paper leaks and the Ram temple donations row.

Channi, who is the sitting MP from Jalandhar, holds a PhD in political science from Panjab University and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in public administration. He has also expressed interest in further research in the area of public policy reforms.

Replying to a question on skipping the CWC meeting, Channi said, “I had sought written permission from the party high command that I won’t be able to attend the meeting on Wednesday.” “Had I missed my paper, my degree would have been delayed by a year. And due to this, the research work, which I want to pursue, would have also got delayed,” he told reporters on the Panjab University campus here. Speaking about the master’s course, Channi said, “Today was my last exam of Masters in Public Administration. I want to undertake research in policy reforms and will pursue a PhD programme in this regard from Panjab University here”.