Malwinder Singh Mali, an adviser to Punjab Congress unit chief Navjot Singh Sidhu, on Friday issued a statement claiming he was stepping down from the position.
Mali and another adviser to Sidhu, Pyare Lal Garg, had triggered a furore over controversial comments they had made over the weekend. Mali had waded into the issue of revocation of Article 370 of the Constitution, which gave a special status to the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir. Mali had written on Facebook that India and Pakistan had illegally usurped Kashmir. He had, reportedly, said if Kashmir was a part of India, then what was the need to have Articles 370 and 35A. Mali had also posted a cartoon showing late prime minister Indira Gandhi holding a gun and standing near a heap of skulls. Garg had questioned Chief Minister Amarinder Singh for criticising Pakistan.
The statements had triggered a backlash, with Amarinder describing the comments as dangerous. In a statement issued on Facebook on Friday, Mali claimed "anti-Sikh" forces had a "nefarious" design to derail the dialogue "that has started taking shape".
Mali wrote on Facebook, "Punjab is a gold mine for the Delhi High Commands and Punjab In-charges and these children are often playing the role of eating and eating. There is no shortage of such politicians in Punjab who are trying to lead each other to become the anti-Punjab axe squad of Delhi and still are. But Punjab is still a victim of dilemma and wandering in search of its true son."
On Wednesday, Harish Rawat, the Congress in-charge for Punjab, had asked Sidhu to remove Mali and Garg from their posts. "We have asked Navjot Singh Sidhu to keep control on his advisers... Any comment against national interest is not acceptable,” Rawat said.
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Meanwhile, Rawat on Friday downplayed a purported statement from Sidhu about "lack of freedom in decision making". Speaking to mediapersons, Rawat was quoted by ANI as saying, "I can't question him on the basis of media speculation... I will see the context of the statement. He is party chief, who other than him can take decisions?"
The Tribune reported that Sidhu had told supporters in Amritsar "I cannot be a dummy chief who is not allowed to take decisions". Sidhu told his supporters if he were allowed to work according to his policy of "hope and faith", he would ensure the Congress ruled Punjab for 20 years, The Tribune reported.
"But if you don’t allow me to take decisions, then I can’t help anything," The Tribune quoted Sidhu as saying.
