CHANDIGARH: Punjab technical education minister Charanjit Singh Channi , who is in the dock for allegedly sending inappropriate messages to a woman IAS officer, claimed on Tuesday that he was being targeted as he had raised Dalit issues in the state.However, the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), which has been seeking his resignation, was quick to blame him for “playing the Dalit card”.Channi, who returned from an official visit abroad, broke his silence on the issue on Tuesday and told reporters, “We get all kinds of forwarded messages and I sent this by mistake. I did not type it. Later, I apologized and the matter was put to rest. The issue is being raked up now, several months later, by the opposition parties.”“I did not call anyone, there is no complaint against me. You can check my call records. The issue was raised at a time when both the CM and I were away from the country,” Channi added.Asked about the nationwide #MeToo campaign, he said, “I am always respectful to women. There are two private secretaries in my office, three block presidents in my constituencies who are women and I have always called them with respect.”He blamed the opposition parties for targeting him. “I am being targeted as I am a Dalit and have been raising issues concerning the Dalits in the state… I clarified to the CM and he even issued a statement. The CM is supreme, we work under his directions. If he takes any decision against me it is acceptable to me,” PTI quoted Channi as saying.The Punjab minister said he has not had any word with party national president Rahul Gandhi or the party’s central leadership. “The opposition parties have tried to draw me into controversies in the past, be it a road built in front of my house or dragging my name into the mining issue, but they did not succeed,” he claimed.SAD says minister playing Dalit card to absolve himselfReacting to Channi’s statement, the Akalis accused him of playing the Dalit card to “absolve himself of the shameful involvement in sexual harassment of a senior IAS officer. It is sinful as Dalits have a lustrous history of protecting and respecting the women.”SAD leaders Gulzar Singh Ranike, Sohan Singh Thandal and Pawan Kumar Tinu dubbed the sexual harassment incident of a senior IAS officer as a “disgrace” for the government and demanded immediate dismissal of the minister and registration of a case against him.They dubbed the incident a disgrace for the state government and demanded an immediate dismissal of the cabinet minister and registration of a case against him.Ranika and Thandal lamented that “this harrowing incident of MeToo in the state involving an IAS officer has become an absolute mockery by the condescending attitude demonstrated by state Congress president Sunil Kumar Jakhar and chief minister Amarinder Singh”.Channi, who represents the Chamkaur Sahib constituency, is also former leader of opposition. Many believe he has been unhappy that the party did not give him a better portfolio. He had even led a group of dissident Dalit MLAs to the party high command to seek a better deal.