Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Sunday took exception to the recent remarks of two of Congress’s State president Navjot Singh Sidhu’s advisors on sensitive national issues like Kashmir and Pakistan. He said such atrocious and ill-conceived comments were potentially dangerous to the peace and stability of the State and the country.
Capt. Amarinder urged Mr. Sidhu’s advisors to stick to giving advice to the PPCC president and not speak on matters of which they clearly had little or no knowledge, and had no understanding of the implications of their comments.
The Chief Minister was reacting to reported remarks of Mr. Pyare Lal Garg questioning his (Captain Amarinder’s) criticism of Pakistan, as well as the earlier controversial statement of Mr. Malwinder Singh Mali on Kashmir. Both of them were recently appointed by Mr. Sidhu as his advisors.
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Capt. Amarinder expressed shock at the extraordinary statements of Mr. Mali and Mr. Garg, which he said were totally misplaced and antagonistic to the stated position of India and the Congress on Pakistan and Kashmir.
“Kashmir was and is an inalienable part of India,” asserted the Chief Minister, adding that with his proclamation to the contrary, Mr. Mali had effectively and inexplicably toed Islamabad’s line. “This is totally anti-national,” he said, also slamming Mr. Mali for failing to withdraw his statement despite the widespread condemnation it had evoked not only from other parties but also from the Congress.
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Ridiculing Mr. Garg’s statement that criticism of Pakistan by him (Captain Amarinder) was not in the interest of Punjab, the Chief Minister said Mr. Sidhu’s advisor was clearly disconnected from the ground reality. “The fact, which every Punjabi and in fact every Indian knows, is that Pakistan’s threat to us is real. Every day they are pushing weapons and drugs into Punjab via drones in a brazen attempt to destabilise our State, and our nation. Punjab soldiers are dying at the borders at the hands of Pakistan-backed forces,” pointed out the Chief Minister, dubbing Mr. Garg’s remarks as irrational and unjustified.
“Mr. Garg may have forgotten the thousands of Punjabi lives lost in the fire of Pakistan-backed terrorism of the 1980s and 1990s, but I have not. Nor have the people of Punjab. And we will continue to do everything in our power to fight off Pakistan’s dangerous games,” asserted Captain Amarinder, urging Mr. Garg not to undermine the sacrifices of Punjabis.