Taking strong exception to the patently anti-national and pro-Pak comments of two of Punjab Congress president Navjot Singh Sidhu’s aides, a group of Punjab Congress Ministers and MLA on Tuesday called for strong action under the law against Malwinder Mali and Dr Payre Lal Garg.
The statements of both these newly-appointed advisors of Punjab Congress president were clearly against India’s interests, and detrimental to national security, said Cabinet Ministers — Brahm Mohindra, Vijay Inder Singla, Bharat Bhushan Ashu, Balbir Singh Sidhu, and Sadhu Singh Dharamsot, along with senior MLA Raj Kumar Verka.
Besides stringent legal action against Mali and Dr Garg, they also urged the Congress national leadership to direct Sidhu to immediately rein in his aides in the interest of the party, as well as the country. “The Congress has made many sacrifices for the protection of the nation’s security and peace, as have our soldiers at the borders. Nobody can or should be allowed to undermine these sacrifices and jeopardise the safety of our country and its people,” they emphasised, citing, in particular, the grave implications such statements could have for the border state of Punjab.
The Congress leaders also questioned Sidhu’s failure to put his foot down on such anti-national and pro-Pak diatribe by his close aides, despite the justified uproar it has triggered across party lines.
Sidhu’s omission in this regard had given ammunition to the Opposition parties, which were quick to recall the Punjab Congress president’s own bonhomie with the Pakistan Prime Minister and Army chief, they pointed out, warning against the massive damage this could cause to the Congress in the run-up to the 2022 Punjab Assembly polls, which are due in less than six months.
Punjab Congress leaders termed Mali’s statement on Kashmir a dangerous and unacceptable deviation from India’s stated position on Jammu and Kashmir (J&K). “By questioning the unanimous 1994 resolution of the Parliament of India declaring J&K as an integral of India (which was reiterated in 2012), Mali had blatantly toed the line of Pakistan, which had been trying to stake claim to the region and was in illegal occupation of certain areas, such as PoK,” they added.
Even Dr Garg’s statement countering the Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh’s criticism of Pakistan reflected strong pro-Pak leanings, they said, adding that anyone not condemning the continuous efforts from across the border to destabilise Punjab and India was playing into the hands of the enemy.
“Drones from Pakistan are dumping arms and drugs into Punjab almost every day. Our soldiers are dying at the border. How can any patriotic Indian not condemn Pak actions in the circumstances?” they asked.
Such comments, if not punished, had the potential of becoming a deadly precursor to more anti-national statements, promoted by forces inimical to the interests of India, they warned, citing the continuous threat from across the border to India’s peace and integrity.
Punjab Congress leaders also condemned Mali for posting a controversial and highly objectionable sketch of late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, terming it another instance of his anti-party stance.
The statement came a day after Punjab party affairs in-charge Harish Rawat has indicated that the two may face a strict action for their recent controversial remarks.
Rawat has sought a detailed report from the state Congress chief after his advisers’ remarks sparked a major controversy giving much fuel to the opposition parties ahead of crucial 2022 polls.