Farmers Movement Archive

Punjab Congress crisis: Border state deserves better, says MP Manish Tewari

Congress MP Manish Tewari on Wednesday expressed his disappointment and apprehensions over the latest political turmoil in his home states following Navjot Singh Sidhu’s resignation as state unit chief of the grand old party.He said in a border state like Punjab where there was already an intense social upheaval over the centrally passed farm laws, such political happenings can have a serious impact on stability and the only people to feel happy with the crisis is Pakistan.In a surprise move, Sidhu resigned from his post on Tuesday stating that he would not compromise on Punjab's future and the agenda for the state’s welfare. He, however, told Congress president Sonia Gandhi in his resignation letter that he would continue to serve the party. The state got its new chief minister in Charanjit Singh Channi only days ago after Amarinder Singh put in his papers citing months of disappointment.There's a higher ideal than power, than ministers holding org positions. That higher ideal is ensuring peace, tranquillity & stability of a border state like Punjab. Under those circumstances what has been playing itself out is extremely unfortunate: Manish Tewari, Congress pic.twitter.com/8nZs3a9hpQTewari, who was one of the senior Congress leaders to have written a note of dissent last year to party president Sonia Gandhi seeking sweeping organisational changes, said, “As a Punjab MP, I'm extremely distressed about happenings in Punjab. Peace in Punjab was extremely hard-won. (About) 25,000 people, most of them being Congress men, sacrificied themselves to bring peace back to Punjab after fighting extremism and terrorism between 1980-1995.”The Lok Sabha MP from Anandpur Sahib further said there was a higher ideal of ensuring peace and stability of a border state than power and ministers holding organisational positions, adding the latest turmoil in Punjab was extremely unfortunate.”Also read | Five possible reasons why Navjot Singh Sidhu may have quitHe, however, refused to speak about Sidhu's latest move and said the man himself was best suited to address the issue.  “The gentleman (Sidhu) can answer for himself. I'm in no position or neither would I like to articulate or second guess a question that can be best addressed by him,” Tewari said. “Punjab is border state, it's going through intense social upheaval primarily because of angst in people against farm laws. Under those circumstances, if such shenanigans played themselves out in public space, it has serious implications on stability of a border state,” he was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.“I have just returned from a regional security conference and I can tell you that the only people who are very happy with what is going on in Punjab is the deep state of Pakistan. They feel that they will get an opportunity to fish in troubled waters,” Tewari added.“All I'm saying is, someone who cut his teeth on trench lines on fight against terrorism in Punjab, personally suffered because of depredations of militants, saw families of Congressmen wiped out in struggle between 1980-95, this kind of instability is extremely disturbing,” he said.

Hindustan Times

29-09-2021

Chandigarh