Senior Congress leader Harish Rawat on Wednesday said that the party may “remove” the advisors to Punjab party chief Navjot Singh Sidhu if need be after two aides sparked a row with their comments on Jammu and Kashmir.
Malvinder Singh Mali had claimed that “Kashmir is a country of Kashmiri people” while another advisor Pyare Lal Garg had taken a swipe at the CM for criticising Pakistan, saying it is not in Punjab’s interest. Earlier, Amarinder Singh had asked Sidhu to “rein in” his advisors and had described their remarks as atrocious and ill-conceived.
On Wednesday, in a television interview with NDTV, Rawat clarified that the Congress has always maintained that Jammu and Kashmir is an “integral part of India” and such comments from leaders do not reflect the stand of the party.
Rawat stated that Sidhu’s advisors have not been assigned by Congress and such comments are “unacceptable”. “We cannot accept those who are an embarrassment for the party for those who appointed them, if need be I will issue directions to remove them,” Rawat told NDTV.
Rawat has said that Punjab assembly elections in 2022 will be fought under chief minister Amarinder Singh’s leadership amid demands of his removal. The announcement came after four party ministers and three MLAs, who arrived in Dehradun, met the former Uttarakhand CM.
After the meeting, Rawat said there’s “no danger to the party and the government, adding that the ministers and the MLAs only shared their grievances with the functioning of the PUnjab government, and that they did have a problem with anyone. “The MLAs have said that they have full confidence in the party and the high command. I will speak to the people concerned about their grievances and, if needed, to the party high command.” He also added: “We should work together for the party. If there is already some damage done, we will try to find solution to it.”
Speaking to News18 earlier in the day, Rawat had said that Amarinder Singh had welcomed Congress chief Navjot Sidhu himself, and the decision on elevation was not taken without Punjab CM’s approval. “Captain had welcomed high command’s decision. I will try to solve the matter. In case I am unable, I will bring it to the notice of Congress leadership in Delhi,” the AICC in-charge added.
Rawat further said that when changes were being introduced in PCC, he had no idea about possible issues that could come up. “We’ll find a solution. Everyone trusts Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi. We’ll look into the matter and try to resolve it,” he said.
The tussle between the two leaders intensified on Tuesday with four cabinet ministers and several party legislators openly pitching for the CM’s removal, saying he failed to fulfill some key poll promises.
Sidhu too was targeted by a group of Punjab ministers and MLAs, loyal to CM Amarinder Singh, who demanded strong action against his two advisors over their “patently anti-national and pro-Pakistan comments”, warning it could cause massive damage to the Congress in the run-up to the Punjab Assembly polls due in less than six months.
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