Sidhu's adviser resigns; Punjab Cong prez says he can't be dummy chief

Chandigarh, Aug 27 (IANS) Punjab Congress President Navjot Sidhu's controversial adviser Malwinder Mali resigned on Friday, a day after AICC general secretary Harish Rawat asked for the advisers' resignations saying their stands were unacceptable to the Congress.

Interestingly, the resignation comes in the wake of Sidhu telling the party High Command that, "I can't be dummy chief".

Reacting to Sidhu's assertion, Rawat said, "Who says he is."

Speaking at a party function in Amritsar city, Sidhu said "if he is allowed to work according to his own policy of hope and faith, he will ensure Congress rule in the state for 20 years".

"But if you don't allow me to take decisions, then I can't help anything," Sidhu said without mincing words.

Speaking about the Punjab model Sidhu said, "Punjab model means people make policies for trade, industry and power. Giving power of people back to the people."

The power struggle between Sidhu and Chief Minister Amarinder Singh is on as the latter's confidante and Cabinet minister Rana Gurmit Singh Sodhi hosted a dinner at his residence here on Thursday.

A total of 58 MLAs and eight MPs attended the dinner and expressed their confidence that the party would win the 2022 polls under the leadership of Amarinder Singh.

"The journey has started today," Sodhi informed in a tweet.

Meanwhile, Sidhu's advisor Mali in a statement after his resignation said, "Anti-Sikh forces that can't tolerate the emerging Punjab model, issue-based and solution-based politics of transparency and accountability, which has dawned in the backdrop of the long-drawn peaceful 'kisan andolan', have a nefarious design to derail the dialogue process that has started taking shape."

He alleged a hateful campaign had been launched against him by political leaders -- Amarinder Singh, Vijay Inder Singla, Manish Tiwari (Congress); Sukhbir Badal, Bikram Majithia (Akali Dal); BJP secretary Subhash Sharma and Raghav Chadda of the AAP.

Mali said these politicians would be responsible if any harm comes to him.

Mali had triggered a controversy over his provocative social media post on Kashmir.

Taking strong exception to the patently anti-national and pro-Pak comments of two of Sidhu's aides, a group of Punjab Congress ministers and MLA had called for strong action under the law against Mali and Pyare Lal Garg.

The statements of both these newly appointed advisors of Sidhu were clearly against India's interests, and detrimental to national security, said ministers Brahm Mohindra, Vijay Inder Singla, Bharat Bhushan Ashu, Balbir Singh Sidhu and Sadhu Singh Dharamsot, along with MLA Raj Kumar Verka.

Besides stringent legal action against them, they had also urged the Congress national leadership to direct Sidhu to immediately rein in his aides in the interest of the party as well as the country.