Vijay Sampla attacks Congress president, asking him to clear his stand on Navjot Singh Sidhu’s controversial visit to Pakistan.
New Delhi: Union minister Vijay Sampla has called Congress president Rahul Gandhi “mad” and “stupid”, asking him to clear his stand on Punjab minister Navjot Singh Sidhu’s controversial visit to Pakistan.
“Paglo ki tarah unka vyavhaar hai…murkho jaise baat karte hain…usko seriously lena nahi chahiye (Rahul should not be taken seriously as he is a nincompoop),” Sampla, who also served as state BJP president in Punjab in the past, told ThePrint Friday.
Sampla was reacting to Sidhu’s remark that his Pakistan visit was cleared by his party president Rahul Gandhi.
Punjab chief minister Capt. Amarinder Singh was believed to have asked Sidhu to reconsider his decision to attend the Kartarpur Corridor event in Pakistan.
“Mere captain Rahul Gandhi hain, unhone toh bheja hai har jagah (my captain is Rahul Gandhi, he has sent me everywhere,” Sidhu was quoted as saying by the media.
The cricketer-turned-politician had drawn flak for his visit to the ground-breaking ceremony of the Kartarpur corridor at the invitation of Pakistan PM Imran Khan. Later praising Sidhu, Khan had even implicitly suggested that he would be a better choice as the prime minister of India.
“Rahul Gandhi should clear his stand whether he would want to send Sidhu to contest elections from Pakistan,” Sampla said.
“Pakistan PM said, had Sidhu been PM of India, relations between two countries would have been cordial. Did Rahul want him to become PM and shatter his dream,” he asked.
Also read: Decoding Rahul Gandhi’s eagerness to be accepted as a Brahmin
On Amarinder
Sampla, who is minister of state for social justice and empowerment, however, praised Punjab CM Capt. Amarinder Singh for “speaking his mind”.
“For not standing with his minister Navjot Singh Sidhu and for speaking his mind, this time I must praise Amarinder. He took a stand against his own party for a greater cause of his country,” Sampla said.
The BJP has maintained that opening of Kartarpur Corridor would improve the relationship between the two countries. However, Sidhu’s photo with pro-Khalistani leader Gopal Chawla, gave the BJP ammunition to attack the Congress.
Sampla, however, believes that relations between the two countries could improve if Pakistan decides to keep anti-India elements away from the proposed corridor.
“The threat issued by Khalistanis about influencing young generation is real but I am sure India and Pakistan both will sort this out. Pakistan needs to keep Khalistanis away,” Sampla said.
“If it fails to do that, then it will also be a loss to genuine visitors (pilgrims) and believers,” added the minister.
He also said sending two union ministers to Pakistan was a “step in the right direction”.
“We want cordial relations with our neighbours. We have a positive thinking. We can control this narrative even now. If we fail, we would lose a golden opportunity of bringing peace between two nations,” Sampla added.
Also read: How many light bulbs does it take to change Rahul Gandhi?
On farmers’ protest
When asked about the massive farmers’ protest in the national capital, the Union minister slammed the Left and other opposition parties, claiming they have “never done anything for farmers”.
“They have stood with farmers to only provoke them… they have political intentions, they are not bothered about farmers’ welfare. On the contrary, we have been giving solutions to their problems from time to time,” Sampla said.
Sampla, if I remember correctly, was employed as a low-education person in some Gulf country. Perhaps as an electrician or mason or some such worker. This fact does NOT prove that he is stupid himself, but unfortunately, people who haven’t achieved high education have to try a bit extra hard to prove that they are not of low intelligence. I don’t know what proof he has so far been able to provide to establish his high intelligence level. Having become successful in politics only proves that he has had the sliminess or good fortune to be in the right place at the right time. That gives him a very slim reason to call anyone else insane or stupid.
What a genius of the BJP – Amazing – Next PM – Keep up the good work
Is this man who is a Minister in Modi cabinet a civilized and educated one? He does not know what to speak and how to speak and for what he speaks. Such Ministers at the centre only lower the name of this nation. After all Modi who is heading this Govt. no less mad that launched many scheme only to benefit rich in the name of poor. After all who is he to ask the opposition party leader to clear his stand? Stupidity has also a limit.
This man himself deserves the epithets he used against Rahul Gandhi because Siddhu has gone only to a function to which the Prime Minister has sent two of his ministers. I think this wretched fellow is jealous of Siddhu.