Following Congress party’s remarks over a controversy pertaining to his adviser, the party’s newly-appointed Punjab Chief Navjot Singh Sidhu, on Friday, 27 August, said that he will “not spare anyone” if not allowed to make decisions.
"I have asked the high command to allow me to take decisions and I will ensure that the Congress prospers in the state for the next two decades. Nahin toh eint se eint bajaa doon (I will not spare anyone).”Navjot Singh Sidhu
Meanwhile, on being asked about Sidhu’s remarks, the party’s Punjab in-charge Harish Rawat, as per ANI, said that he cannot question him on the basis of media speculation.
“I will see the context of the statement. He is party chief, who other than him can take decisions?”Harish Rawat
But What Triggered Sidhu's Remarks?
According to NDTV, Sidhu’s remarks came after Rawat at a public meeting in Amritsar sought for Sidhu to sack his advisers.
"These advisers were not appointed by the party. We have asked Sidhu to dismiss them. If Sidhu does not do that, I will. We do not want people who embarrass the party.”Harish Rawat
Reportedly Sidhu’s advisers had made controversial remarks on Pakistan and Kashmir.
Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, too, on Sunday, publicly reproached Sidhu’s advisers, dubbing their comments “potentially dangerous” and "totally misplaced and antagonistic”.
And What Had Sidhu's Advisers Said?
On 17 August, Sidhu’s adviser Malwinder Mali had taken to Facebook to question the status of Jammu and Kashmir and India-Pakistan's role in the region.
"Going against the tenets of the UNO resolutions, India and Pakistan have illegally usurped Kashmir. If Kashmir was a part of India, then what was the need to have Articles 370 and 35-A," he wrote, as per an NDTV report.
Around the same time, his other adviser Pyare Lal Garg had purportedly questioned Amarinder Singh’s criticism of Pakistan.
Mali Resigns
On Friday, 27 August, Malwinder Singh Mali resigned amid controversy over his remarks.
In his resignation letter, Mali alleged that there was a campaign being run against him by CM Singh along with Vijay Inder Singla and Manish Tiwari of the Congress, Sukhbir Badal and Bikram Majithia of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), and Subhash Sharma and Raghav Chadda of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).
According to The Tribune, Mali said, "Anti-Sikh forces that can't tolerate the emerging Punjab model and solution-based transparent politics in the backdrop of the farmers' protests have a nefarious design to derail the dialogue process. He further alleged that there is a plot to push him into the struggle with tied hands."
What Next?
Manwhile, Congress Punjab in-charge Harish Rawat has also shared that he will meet Rahul Gandhi on Saturday, and said:
“He (Navjot Singh Sidhu's adviser) has disowned his remark on Pakistan and Kashmir, so the matter ends there.”
Adding that he will also seek time to meet party President Sonia Gandhi, Rawat said:
“Congress' stand is very clear that we will not accept any statement that is against the interests of the nation.”Harish Rawat
(With inputs from ANI and NDTV.)
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)