Sack Sidhu for anti-south India remarks, says BJP
The Bharatiya Janata Party yesterday accused the Congress of turning itself into an organisation with an anti-India mindset, and sought an apology from its president Rahul Gandhi and sacking of Punjab minister Navjot Singh Sidhu for his analogy between visiting Pakistan and south India.
BJP spokesman G V L Narasimha Rao said the Congress has been following a double-pronged strategy – hoping to make an entry in Pakistan’ politics by showing its “love and affection” for it and by following a “break India campaign”.
“Break the country is the new slogan of Rahul Gandhi. He is following a strategy creating division and disaffection between different regions of the country. The Congress is no longer a political party but has become an organisation with anti-India mindset,” Rao said citing the recent incidents of migration of north Indians from Gujarat and Congress’ stand during action against urban Naxals.
“This was done with a political narrative and the genesis of all this goes back to the manner in which Cambridge Analytica, a company which was retained by Congress, creates social and communal conflicts and caste divide,” Rao said.
The BJP’s attack comes in the wake of Sidhu’s recent remarks at an event, where he drew an analogy between visiting Pakistan and south India.
Implying that Pakistan’s culture was more similar and familiar to Punjab than south India, he had said: “I can’t understand the language, it’s just one or two words. Not that I don’t like the food, but I cannot have it for a long time, the culture is totally different. When I go to Pakistan, the language is the same, like you know, when you abuse in English 10 times, one abuse in Punjabi overpowers all.”
Hitting out at Sidhu, Rao said his analogy was an attempt to poison the minds of people to divide different parts of India and to create a negative and adverse image of south India.
“You should apologise and you have to sack Sidhu from Punjab cabinet. Nothing short of sacking will satisfy people from South. We will certainly raise this issue. We will hold protests against Sidhu and Rahul Gandhi. We will take to streets. Rahul Gandhi must apologise and sack Sidhu within this week. Otherwise be ready to face political consequences when you visit south,” Rao said.
He said Sidhu had no business to insult the people of south India.
“You may love your leader, you may love your pasta and pizza or you may love Karachi kulche we have no problem but you have no business to say that I like Pakistan more than south India.”