JALANDHAR: A war of words has broken out within the Punjab Congress.
After Congress Legislature Party leader Partap Singh Bajwa on Tuesday asked former Punjab Congress president Navjot Singh Sidhu not to hold separate ‘akhara’ (public meetings), the latter shared his former adviser Malvinder Singh Mali’s post on his Facebook and X (formerly known as Twitter) accounts in which he had taken a strong dig at Bajwa.Later, Sidhu also shared a joint statement issued by a group of Congress leaders, including former MLAs, questioning Bajwa’s attack for the rally held at Mehraj.
Sidhu had held a ‘Jittega Punjab’ rally at Mehraj in Bathinda district on Sunday. On Monday, Bajwa not only asked Sidhu to act with maturity and to ‘digest’ the honour given by the party but also put the blame on him for Congress tally coming down from 78 seats (2017) to 18 (2022) in Punjab assembly. He asked Sidhu not to hold his separate akhara and come to the party stages while joining the party cadres. “No Congressman likes it,” Bajwa had said.
Past Tuesday midnight, Sidhu shared on his Facebook Mali’s FB post, which latter had posted on Tuesday evening targeting Bajwa. On Wednesday afternoon, Sidhu shared this post on his X account also. Sharing Bajwa’s video clip of his remarks about Sidhu, Mali wrote that it was an example of Bajwa’s misleading utterances emerging from his uneasiness.
“If you reject INDIA bloc’s alliance politics and say that we shall not implement Congress high command’s decisions that does not become separate akhara. But if Sidhu says that he would stand with the high command and would fight for Punjab how that becomes separate akhara?” Mali asked in his post.
“You (Bajwa) are responsible for Congress tally coming from 78 to 18 and not Navjot Singh Sidhu as president. You rejected Sidhu’s Punjab agenda of ending loot and instead played Dalit card. The result (Congress losing badly) is due to your politics of taking turns with Badals. Bajwa Sahib, when Sidhu was made Punjab Congress president you joined Captain Amarinder Singh camp and went to his Siswan farmhouse,” Mali wrote.
“What akhara you have really held against Bhagwant Mann’s policies? Tell us which policies of Congress are being violated by Mann government,” he questioned.
“Why are you uncomfortable if Sidhu has attacked Mann government’s policies and decisions? After losing assembly elections, Sidhu had attacked AAP government’s politics of not fulfilling guarantees and CM Mann had to invite him for a meeting,” Mali added.
After his elevation as Punjab Congress president in 2021, Sidhu had appointed Mali as his adviser but the latter quit the role after some time. Mali has been very frequently commenting on political situation in Punjab, including very sharp criticism of AAP and the Bhagwant Mann government in acerbic language.
Later, on Wednesday evening, Sidhu posted on his FB and X accounts a joint statement by five former MLAs, two constituency in-charges and two other Congress leaders in which they questioned Bajwa for attacking them. “Neither we nor Navjot Sidhu are being invited to Punjab Congress functions and if we at the invitation of Congress workers have organised a gathering of over 8,000 people for betterment of Congress we are being attacked in place of being encouraged…..Why are we being discriminated against for proximity to Sidhu….For the last one month you have not organised any big event as an opposition party while we openly posed peoples’ questions to the government. It is sad that workers are not getting honour and representation and if a leader like Sidhu has lent his hand to farmers why is it pricking some leaders. We hope that Punjab leadership will not discriminate against Navjot Sidhu and ordinary workers,” they added.
After Congress Legislature Party leader Partap Singh Bajwa on Tuesday asked former Punjab Congress president Navjot Singh Sidhu not to hold separate ‘akhara’ (public meetings), the latter shared his former adviser Malvinder Singh Mali’s post on his Facebook and X (formerly known as Twitter) accounts in which he had taken a strong dig at Bajwa.Later, Sidhu also shared a joint statement issued by a group of Congress leaders, including former MLAs, questioning Bajwa’s attack for the rally held at Mehraj.
Sidhu had held a ‘Jittega Punjab’ rally at Mehraj in Bathinda district on Sunday. On Monday, Bajwa not only asked Sidhu to act with maturity and to ‘digest’ the honour given by the party but also put the blame on him for Congress tally coming down from 78 seats (2017) to 18 (2022) in Punjab assembly. He asked Sidhu not to hold his separate akhara and come to the party stages while joining the party cadres. “No Congressman likes it,” Bajwa had said.
Past Tuesday midnight, Sidhu shared on his Facebook Mali’s FB post, which latter had posted on Tuesday evening targeting Bajwa. On Wednesday afternoon, Sidhu shared this post on his X account also. Sharing Bajwa’s video clip of his remarks about Sidhu, Mali wrote that it was an example of Bajwa’s misleading utterances emerging from his uneasiness.
“If you reject INDIA bloc’s alliance politics and say that we shall not implement Congress high command’s decisions that does not become separate akhara. But if Sidhu says that he would stand with the high command and would fight for Punjab how that becomes separate akhara?” Mali asked in his post.
“You (Bajwa) are responsible for Congress tally coming from 78 to 18 and not Navjot Singh Sidhu as president. You rejected Sidhu’s Punjab agenda of ending loot and instead played Dalit card. The result (Congress losing badly) is due to your politics of taking turns with Badals. Bajwa Sahib, when Sidhu was made Punjab Congress president you joined Captain Amarinder Singh camp and went to his Siswan farmhouse,” Mali wrote.
“What akhara you have really held against Bhagwant Mann’s policies? Tell us which policies of Congress are being violated by Mann government,” he questioned.
“Why are you uncomfortable if Sidhu has attacked Mann government’s policies and decisions? After losing assembly elections, Sidhu had attacked AAP government’s politics of not fulfilling guarantees and CM Mann had to invite him for a meeting,” Mali added.
After his elevation as Punjab Congress president in 2021, Sidhu had appointed Mali as his adviser but the latter quit the role after some time. Mali has been very frequently commenting on political situation in Punjab, including very sharp criticism of AAP and the Bhagwant Mann government in acerbic language.
Later, on Wednesday evening, Sidhu posted on his FB and X accounts a joint statement by five former MLAs, two constituency in-charges and two other Congress leaders in which they questioned Bajwa for attacking them. “Neither we nor Navjot Sidhu are being invited to Punjab Congress functions and if we at the invitation of Congress workers have organised a gathering of over 8,000 people for betterment of Congress we are being attacked in place of being encouraged…..Why are we being discriminated against for proximity to Sidhu….For the last one month you have not organised any big event as an opposition party while we openly posed peoples’ questions to the government. It is sad that workers are not getting honour and representation and if a leader like Sidhu has lent his hand to farmers why is it pricking some leaders. We hope that Punjab leadership will not discriminate against Navjot Sidhu and ordinary workers,” they added.