Navjot Singh Sidhu Warns Congress, Demands Freedom To Take Decisions Or Ensure 'Total Devastation'

Amid the continuing tussle with Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, Sidhu's adviser Malvinder Singh Mali had to resign on Friday after his controversial remarks on the Kashmir issue garnered criticism.

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New Delhi: In a daring move, newly appointed Punjab unit president Navjot Singh Sidhu asked Congress high command to give him the freedom to take his decisions or he will see "total devastation".

Navjot Singh Sidhu made the remarks on Thursday at a meeting with industrialists and traders in Amritsar. He stressed that he did not want to remain just a showhorse, news agency PTI reported.

Amid the continuing tussle with Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, Sidhu's adviser Malvinder Singh Mali had to resign on Friday after his controversial remarks on the Kashmir issue garnered criticism from his own party members besides BJP and Shiromani Akali Dal.

Addressing a trade and industry association, Navjot Sidhu said he will ensure that Congress remains in power in Punjab for the next 20 years. "But if you don't let me take the decisions, I will also ensure total devastation," Sidhu said in Punjabi, using the term "itt naal itt bhi khadkavunga", PTI reported.

He emphasised that there was no point in being just a showhorse ("darshani ghoda").

Meanwhile, Harish Rawat, the in-charge of Punjab affairs at All India Congress Committee (AICC), seemed to downplay Sidhu's remarks. He said that state presidents are free to take decisions within the party's constitution and in accordance with its position.

"I will see the context in which Navjot Singh Sidhu made these remarks. Mr Sidhu is the respected chief of the Punjab unit. Who else has the power to take decisions if not the state presidents?" the AICC general secretary told reporters in Delhi when asked to respond.

Notably, Rawat had commented that Sidhu's media advisers should leave after their controversy around their statements on Kashmir and Pakistan blew up.

Earlier, he had clarified that the upcoming assembly election in the state will be fought under Amarinder Singh's leadership, a statement that was seen as a snub to the Sidhu camp.

Meanwhile, Sidhu also said that presently people in Punjab are frustrated with the false and hollow promises of politicians. He committed to the cancellation of faulty power purchase agreements entered into by Punjab and assured electricity at Rs 3 per unit to domestic consumers.