Punjab Congress Chief Navjot Singh Sidhu invited both his newly appointed advisors – Pyare Lal Garg and Malwinder Mali – to his residence on Monday, 23 August, after their remarks on Jammu and Kashmir prompted condemnation from Chief Minister Amarinder Singh.
On 17 August, 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, NDTV reported.
Mali and Garg were appointed advisors to Sidhu on 11 August.
Meanwhile, Punjab Congress in-charge Harish Rawat on Monday, 23 August, stated that he has sought information in this regard.
"Sidhu ji and some others say that statements were twisted, there's a possibility that political advantage is being sought at the time of polls."Harish Rawat, as per news agency ANI
On behalf of the party, he also stressed that J&K is an integral part of India. "Nobody has the right to cast a doubt on that status, let alone issue a statement," Rawat stated.
In June, Mali had also posted a sketch depicting former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi next to a heap of human skulls, carrying a gun with a skull hanging from its muzzle, Hindustan Times reported.
In reference to the post, Rawat said that Gandhi was "one of the most popular leaders; a mother figure to us," and added that action will be taken if something insulting was said about her.
What the CMO Had Said
In an official statement, CM Singh had castigated Mali's views, referring to them as "atrocious and ill-conceived comments that were potentially dangerous to the peace and stability of the state and the country."
Further, he had urged Sidhu to rein in his advisors "before they end up doing more damage to India's interests" and asked the advisors "not to speak on matters of which they clearly had little or no knowledge, and had no understanding of the implications of their comments."
"This is totally anti-national," he had stated earlier.
Further, ridiculing Garg's statement on his criticism of Pakistan, the CM said that Sidhu's adviser was clearly disconnected from the ground reality.
Sidhu Brings Up Sugar Cane Prices, Praises BJP-Ruled States
As state elections approach, Sidhu and Singh have locked horns a few times this year.
Even as Sindhu's advisers court this controversy, on Monday morning, the Punjab Congress president lauded BJP-ruled states over their state-assured sugar cane prices.
He added that the sugar cane farmers' issue in Punjab needs an expeditious resolution. Sugar cane farmers have been protesting against the Congress administration, urging them to relieve pending dues and increase prices.
“Strange that despite the higher cost of cultivation in Punjab the state assured price is too low as compared to Haryana / UP / Uttarakhand," Sidhu wrote on Twitter on Monday.
(With inputs from Hindustan Times, ANI, IANS and NDTV)
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