CAPT TAKES EXCEPTION TO REMARKS OF SIDHU’S ADVISERS

Tells them to stick to advising PPCC chief and not speak on matters of which they had little or no knowledge

CHANDIGARH: Punjab chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Sunday took strong exception to the recent statements of two advisers of state Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu on sensitive issues such as Kashmir and Pakistan, warning them against making “atrocious and ill-conceived” comments that were potentially dangerous to the peace and stability of the state and the country. The CM said that these statements were “anti-national”.

The CM urged Sidhu’s recently appointed advisers, Dr Pyare Lal Garg and Malwinder Singh Mali, to stick to giving advice to the Punjab Congress president.

CHANDIGARH: Chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh on Sunday took strong exception to the recent statements of two of Punjab Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu’s advisers on sensitive national issues like Kashmir and Pakistan, warning them against “atrocious and ill-conceived” comments that were potentially dangerous to the peace and stability of the state and the country.

The CM urged Sidhu’s advisers 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. He was reacting to reported remarks of Dr Pyare Lal Garg questioning his (Captain Amarinder’s) criticism of Pakistan, as well as the earlier controversial statement of Malwinder Singh Mali on Kashmir. Both of them were recently appointed by Sidhu as his advisers.

Amarinder expressed shock at the extraordinary statements of Mali and Garg, which, he said, were totally misplaced and antagonistic to the stated position of India and the Congress on Pakistan and Kashmir. He urged the Punjab Congress president to rein in his advisers before they end up doing more damage to India’s interests.

“Kashmir was and is an inalienable part of India,” he said, adding that with his proclamation to the contrary, Mali had effectively and inexplicably toed Islamabad’s line. “This is totally anti-national,” he said, also slamming Mali for failing to withdraw his statement despite the widespread condemnation it had evoked not only from other parties but also from within the Congress.

Ridiculing Garg’s statement that criticism of Pakistan by him (Amarinder) was not in the interest of Punjab, the CM said he 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, the neighbouring country is pushing weapons and drugs into Punjab via drones in a brazen attempt to destabilise our state, and our nation. Punjabi soldiers are dying at the borders at the hands of Pakbacked

forces,” he added.

The CM said Garg might have forgotten the thousands of Punjabi lives lost in the fire of Pakbacked terrorism of the 1980s and 1990s, but he had 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 Amarinder, urging Garg not to undermine the sacrifices of Punjabis with his irresponsible and patently politically motivated statements.

Veteran Cong leader takes up matter with Sonia

Congress leader and veteran trade unionist MM Singh Cheema has taken up PPCC chief’s adviser Malvinder Singh Mali’s recent media utterances with AICC president Sonia Gandhi, stating that these seriously compromised the party’s stand.

Cheema said he had lodged a strong protest against the appointment of these “so-called” advisers to PPCC president while knowing their past stands on critical issues.