Chandigarh: Punjab Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu's adviser Malvinder Singh Mali on Friday announced that he has quit. Mali is currently facing the wrath of the Congress high command for his controversial comments on Kashmir.
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". However, did not term it as a "resignation". Mali claimed that the question of his resignation does not arise as he never accepted the post.
Mali was criticised for his remark on 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."
His comment made the AICC general secretary Harish Rawat, who is also in charge of Punjab affairs, to issue a strict order asking for the two advisers to be relived of duty as advisers to Sidhu. Just ahead of the state assembly polls in Punjab scheduled for sometime early next year.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Amarinder Singh in a statement had asked Sidhu to "rein in" his advisers calling their remarks "atrocious" on issues like Kashmir and 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".
On August 11, Sidhu 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.
