New Delhi: A little over a month after Navjot Singh Sidhu’s appointment as the Punjab Congress president, a new rift has appeared between him and Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh — this time over remarks made by two of Sidhu’s newly-appointed advisors on Jammu and Kashmir.
Sidhu summoned the two advisors for a rush meeting Monday, a day after CM Amarinder publicly attacked Sidhu for the comments, calling them “atrocious and ill-conceived” as well as “anti-national”.
The CM urged Sidhu to rein in his advisors and asked them to “not speak on matters of which they clearly had little or no knowledge, and had no understanding of the implications of their comments”.
“Kashmir was and is an inalienable part of India,” Amarinder said in a statement out out by his office, and called Sidhu’s advisors’ remarks as one that “effectively and inexplicably toed Islamabad’s line”.
Congress’ Lok Sabha MP from Anandpur Sahib, Manish Tewari also slammed Sidhu’s advisors.
“How can you support Pakistan — the country that sends arms, drugs and drones in Punjab? Many people from Congress sacrificed their lives in the fight against terrorism in Punjab and Kashmir. Such statements are a mockery of their martyrdom,” Tewari told ANI Monday. “If someone is questioning this resolution, forget about the party, do such people even have the right to stay in the country?”
In a Twitter post, Tewari also took a swipe at Sidhu.
“I urge @harishrawatcmuk AICC Gen Secy I/C Punjab to seriously introspect that those who do not consider J&K to be a part of India & others who have ostensibly Pro Pakistan leanings should be a part of @INCPunjab. It mocks all those who shed blood for India,” he tweeted.
I urge @harishrawatcmuk AICC Gen Secy I/C Punjab to seriously introspect that those who do not consider J&K to be a part of India & others who have ostensibly Pro Pakistan leanings should be a part of @INCPunjab
It mocks all those who shed blood for India.https://t.co/j6hDuZ35ci
— Manish Tewari (@ManishTewari) August 23, 2021
The issue is only the latest flashpoint in the contentious Amarinder-Sidhu saga that has seen Punjab Congress in turmoil for a while. ThePrint had reported how CM Amarinder had told Congress President Sonia Gandhi in a meeting earlier this month that Sidhu’s repeated attacks on the Punjab government were “reflecting poorly on the party”.
Also read: ‘Workers are soul of party’ —Navjot Sidhu after taking charge as Punjab Congress chief
What the advisors’ said
The comments in question were made by Malvinder Singh Mali and Pyare Lal Garg, both of whom were appointed as advisors just days ago on 11 August.
In multiple Facebook posts over the course of the last week, Malvinder Singh Mali hit out at the Indian government for its handling of the Kashmir issue.
“Kashmir belongs to Kashmiri people … India and Pakistan have gone against UN’s resolutions by illegally capturing Kashmir,” read one post.
In another post, Mali asked: “Why after sending millions of soldiers, Jammu and Kashmir has been converted into an open jail?”
Back in June, Mali had changed his Facebook account’s cover photo to that of a controversial image of Indira Gandhi, the late prime minister who was assassinated by her Sikh bodyguards following Operation Bluestar.
In the picture, Indira can be seen next to a pile of skulls, holding a gun in her hand with a skull propped on it. The imagery is seen as a reference to the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, where hundreds of Sikhs had been killed in Delhi.
Pyare Lal Garg, the other advisor, had in an interview to a regional channel questioned CM Amarinder’s repeated and frequent criticism of Pakistan.
The chief minister has in the last few months raised caution against Pakistan multiple times, and in his speech on 15 August, pledged to “protect the border state against the nefarious designs of Pakistan”.
Advisors play down controversy
Punjab Congress chief Sidhu, who went into damage control mode, had called both Malvinder Singh Mali and Pyare Lal Garg for a meeting at his residence Monday morning.
However, after the meeting, Mali stood by his comments, saying they were “final”, according to ANI.
“Whatever I had to say, I’ve said it on social media, & that’s final,” he told the media.
Whatever I had to say I've said it on social media, & that's final. If anyone makes a mistake, they should reflect.We must continue to work welfare of Punjab: Malvinder S Mali, Punjab Congress Chief Navjot Sidhu's advisor who posted a controversial sketch of late PM Indira Gandhi pic.twitter.com/OUuAsY5s0u
— ANI (@ANI) August 23, 2021
Garg, however, evaded the subject and said the meeting pertained to the issue of development in Punjab.
“When a govt does good work, we appreciate it, if it does poor work then we also criticise it,” he said.
Today, we spoke to Sidhu Ji on issues of the development of the state. When a govt does good work we appreciate it, if it does poor work then we also criticise it: Pyare Lal Garg, Punjab Congress Chief Navjot Singh's advisor pic.twitter.com/TXpnrRnuAa
— ANI (@ANI) August 23, 2021
While the two party workers played down the controversy, it has already caused some fissures in the state party unit.
Asha Kumari, former AICC incharge for Punjab, tweeted her agreement with Tewari, who responded: “Thanks Mam. You understand Punjab like no one does.”
Thanks Mam . You understand Punjab like no one does .@AshaKumariINC https://t.co/VLCDsjFr4s
— Manish Tewari (@ManishTewari) August 23, 2021
(Edited by Manasa Mohan)
Also read: Punjab Congress battle isn’t about Navjot Sidhu or Amarinder Singh. It’s about Gandhis