Punjab Congress chief Sidhu's adviser Malvinder Singh Mali quits

Chandigarh: Under fire for his controversial comments on Kashmir, Malvinder Singh Mali on Friday quit as adviser to Punjab Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu. However, Mali did not term it as a "resignation".

In a statement posted on his Facebook page, Mali said, "I humbly submit that I withdraw my consent given for tendering suggestions to Navjot Singh Sidhu".

Mali, in another Facebook post, claimed that the question of his resignation does not arise as he never accepted the post.

"Neither accepted any post, nor resigned from any post," Mali said in a post in Punjabi.

Amid a power tussle in Punjab, Chief Minister Amarinder Singh had asked Sidhu on Sunday to "rein in" his advisers after two of them made "atrocious" comments recently on sensitive issues like Kashmir and Pakistan.

AICC general secretary Harish Rawat, who is in charge of Punjab affairs, had also said that the two advisers need to go.

Sidhu on August 11 had appointed Mali, a former government teacher and political analyst, and Pyare Lal Garg, a former registrar of Baba Farid University of Health and Sciences, as his advisers to seek their wise counsel.

In a recent social media post, Mali had waded into the issue of revocation of Article 370 of the Constitution, which gave special status to the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir.

He had reportedly said if Kashmir was a part of India, then what was the need to have Articles 370 and 35A. He had also said, Kashmir is a country of Kashmiri people.

Garg, another adviser of Sidhu, had reportedly questioned the chief minister's criticism of Pakistan.

The chief minister had warned against such "atrocious and ill-conceived comments that were potentially dangerous to the peace and stability of the state and the country".

Harish Rawat seeks to be relieved as Cong's Punjab affairs in-charge

Citing next year's assembly polls in Uttarakhand where he is the Congress' campaign committee chairman, Harish Rawat has sought to be relieved as the in-charge of party affairs in Punjab.

He said that to concentrate on the upcoming polls in Uttarakhand, it had been on his mind to seek to be relieved of the responsibility of the party's Punjab affairs in-charge.

"Yes, this is the reason," the former Uttarakhand chief minister told reporters in Dehradun on Thursday when asked if he has sought to be relieved of the charge as Punjab affairs in-charge so that he could concentrate on the upcoming polls in his state.

He added that he would abide by whatever direction is given to him by the party.

"If my party asks me to continue (as Punjab affairs in-charge), I will continue," said Rawat.

Punjab and Uttarakhand will go to polls next year.

Rawat, who is currently in Delhi to meet the party's senior leadership, had recently said next year's Punjab Assembly polls will be fought under the leadership of Amarinder Singh, delivering a snub to the leaders wanting his removal.

Rawat had also said that there was no threat to the Amarinder Singh-led government in Punjab.

Reacting to Sidhu's statement urging the party high command to allow him the freedom to take decisions, Rawat said party chiefs are free to take their decisions within the party's norms and constitution.

"I will see the context in which Navjot Singh Sidhu has made these remarks. Mr Sidhu is the respected chief of the Punjab unit. Who will have the power to take decisions if not the state presidents," he told reporters in Delhi on Friday.

Rawat added state presidents are free to take decisions within the party's constitution and position.

Sidhu had said earlier that the party high command should give him the freedom to take decisions and he will ensure that the Congress remains in power for the next 20 years. He said he has prepared a roadmap in this regard.

"The party high command should allow me the freedom to take decisions, else I will give a befitting reply," he said addressing a meeting in Amritsar.