Malwinder Singh Mali, adviser Navjot Singh Sidhu, has sparked a political controversy with his recent Facebook posts against the revocation of the special status and autonomy granted under Article 370 of the Constitution to Jammu and Kashmir.
In his recent posts on Facebook, Mali said, “Kashmir belongs to Kashmiris. Going against the tenets of the UNO resolutions, India and Pakistan have illegally usurped the Kashmir territory. If Kashmir was a part of India then what was the need to have Articles 370 and 35-A. What was the special agreement with King Hari Singh? Tell people what were the terms of the agreement.”
Senior Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Bikram Majithia said Malvinder Singh Mali’s tweet was an attempt to insult martyrs who had sacrificed their lives fighting for India in Kashmir.
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“He [Mali] said that Kashmir is the country of Kashmiris, which means Kashmir is a separate country. He also said that India and Pakistan have illegally encroached upon Kashmir. Rahul Gandhi, is this not an insult to martyrs?” Bikram Majithia said.
In a tweet, Malwinder Singh Mali wrote, “Kashmir is a separate country and India and Pakistan are illegal occupants. It belongs to the people of Kashmir.”#MalwinderSinghMali #Punjab #Politics
(@manjeet_sehgal)https://t.co/rJGswRiAoB— IndiaToday (@IndiaToday) August 19, 2021
“If he [Rahul Gandhi] endorses Mali’s views, then the real face of the Congress will be exposed. If not, what action will he take against Mali?” he said.
Senior BJP leader Vineet Joshi claimed that Navjot Singh Sidhu’s appointment of Mali as his advisor indicated where he was headed in political discourse.
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“Many Army and allied forces personnel, besides the Jammu and Kashmir police, have sacrificed their lives to save Kashmir from Pakistan-sponsored terrorists. A number of martyrs belong to Punjab. Mali is trying to shrink the supreme sacrifices made by these martyrs,” Vineet Joshi said.
The BJP leader called Navjot Singh Sidhu an “unstable politician.”
“BJP gave him a political identity. His wife was given a party ticket and then he switched his loyalties and joined Congress. The infighting within the Punjab Congress unit is the outcome of the unfulfilled political ambitions of Navjot Sidhu. He can go to any length and now he is trying to sprinkle salt on the wounds of martyrs’ families,” Vineet Joshi stated.