The astounding statements made by Punjab Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu's advisors draw inspiration from his "Jhappi-Pappi" speech at the opening of Kartarpur Sahib Corridor in 2019, said Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas and Housing and Urban Affairs Hardeep Singh Puri on Monday.
This comes after Sidhu's advisors Malwinder Singh Mali and Dr Pyare Lal Garg made remarks supporting Pakistan and a controversial statement regarding Kashmir.
Taking to Twitter, Puri posted a video of Sidhu's speech in which he can be heard favouring his close aide Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan and wrote, "One wonders if Mr Sidhu's advisers who have now made astounding statements on Kashmir have drawn inspiration from the Japphi-Pappi speech at opening of Sri Kartarpur Sahib Corridor on 9 Nov 2019 in which Mr Sidhu extolled the virtues of his friend PM Imran Khan!"
Hitting out at the Congress leader Sidhu said that "Japphi-Pappi politics doesn't work."
"Time for Mr Sidhu and Congress Party to introspect their stand on developments in our neighbourhood. They clearly have no understanding of the current political & security situation in our volatile neighbourhood. Japphi-Pappi politics doesn't work," he said.
After the remarks sparked a controversy, Sidhu on Monday summoned his advisors to his residence in Punjab to discuss the matter.
Garg had questioned Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh's criticism of Pakistan while Mali made a controversial remark on Kashmir. Mali also posted an objectionable poster of late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on social media.
The two advisors were slammed by many Congress leaders including Punjab Chief Minister who stated that their comments were "totally misplaced and antagonistic" to the stated position of India and the Congress on Pakistan and Kashmir.
Earlier in the day, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Daljit Singh Cheema also took a dig at Sidhu by stating that the PPCC chief was himself friendly with the Pakistan Prime Minister and Army Chief, so his advisors were just following suit.
( With inputs from ANI )
Disclaimer: This post has been auto-published from an agency feed without any modifications to the text and has not been reviewed by an editor