Do you support Punjab leaders' remarks on Kashmir, Pak: Nadda to Cong leadership
Darpan News Desk IANS, 24 Aug, 2021 12:11 PM
New Delhi, Aug 24 (IANS) Bharatiya Janata Party chief J P Nadda on Tuesday asked the Congress national leadership to clarify their stand on whether they support the remarks on Kashmir and Pakistan made by party leaders in Punjab. Nadda said that the silence of the Congress leadership will be seen as being implicit to such objectionable remarks.
Hitting out at the Congress party in tweets, Nadda said, "I would urge the topmost national leadership of the Congress to state clearly whether they support the remarks on Kashmir and Pakistan made by Congress leaders in Punjab? Silence on the matter will be seen as implicit support to such objectionable remarks."
"Recent comments by Punjab Congress leaders, who enjoy the patronage of the topmost state leadership as well as the High Command in Delhi, are reprehensible. They are repeatedly making irresponsible statements that have grave implications for national security," he said.
Two advisors of newly appointed Punjab Congress president Navjot Singh Sidhu have sparked a massive controversy with their comments. Sidhu's advisor, Malvinder Singh Mali had said that 'Kashmir is a country of Kashmiri people'. Another advisor of Sidhu's, Pyare Lal Garg questioned Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh's criticism of Pakistan.
Mali's and Garg's comments have drawn huge criticism from Congress leaders including Chief Minister Amarinder Singh. Former union minister and Congress MP from Sri Anandpur Sahib, Manish Tewari had tweeted, "I urged state general secretary in-charge Harish Rawat to seriously introspect that those who do not consider Jammu and Kashmir to be a part of India and others who have ostensibly pro-Pakistan leanings should be a part of Punjab Congress. It mocks all those who shed blood for India."
Most experts believe India’s official toll of 414,000 dead was a vast undercount, but the government has dismissed those concerns. A report released Tuesday estimates excess deaths to be 3 million to 4.7 million between January 2020 and this June.
Rejecting all opposition to his elevation, Congress interim President Sonia Gandhi appointed Navjot Singh Sidhu as the party's new Punjab unit President along with four Working Presidents.
Calling the reports of alleged snooping on prominent citizens using Israeli Pegasus spyware as "baseless", the ruling BJP on Monday said there is not a single shred of evidence so far that links either the central government or the party to this controversy.
Congress MPs from both Houses had met on Sunday afternoon at Rajya Sabha member Pratap Singh Bajwa's residence to discuss the issues related to Punjab and sought an appointment with Gandhi.
Apart from reviewing the security arrangements in the national capital, the Delhi Police have also strengthened the security in and around the Red Fort ahead of the Independence Day.
Police said acting on a specific information, Budgam Police along with the Army's 53 RR and 43 BN of the CRPF arrested one local terrorist linked with proscribed terror outfit LeT and recovered incriminating materials, arms and ammunition including one Chinese pistol, one magazine, eight live pistol rounds from his possession.
