Chandigarh: Surprise in Congress over CM’s Bajwa bashing

A number of party leaders said even the Indian Army Chief Gen Bipin Rawat had not said anything on the issue but the Punjab Chief Minister concentrated on Bajwa-bashing from an important stage even though the chief guest on the occasion, Vice President Venkaiah Naidu, reached out to Pakistan through words of peace.

“I was surprised to see the Chief Minister reminding Bajwa that India had a bigger Army than Pakistan,” said a Congress leader.

Internal discussions within the party centered around Amarinder’s Bajwa-bashing. The ‘conclusion’ was that it was directed against Punjab Local Bodies Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu’s who controversially hugged the Pakistan Army Chief during the Sidhu’s visit to the enemy country, and came back with the message that Pakistan was preparing to open a visa free corridor to Kartarpur.

“It was actually Sidhu bashing. One just needs to read between the lines. This is no secret,” said another party leader.
The Chief Minister had been trolled on social media for his decision to boycott the Pakistan function and some in the party, worried that he was absenting himself from a historic occasion for Punjab and the Sikh Panth, had actually hoped he would change his decision.

“But as he launched into his speech, we knew it was all over. The fact that he was constantly going through his notes at the stage before it was his turn to speak, made it clear that he came fully prepared to hit at Bajwa,” said another leader.

While being upstaged by Sidhu is being cited as one reason for Amarinder’s speech that was out of sync with an air of approachment in India-Pakistan ties, some in the party are also seeing it as a well thought out bid to appease the Hindu vote bank.

A party leader said, “All this is a well-thought-through-stand. It has been discussed for the past several months that the narrative surrounding Bargari was turning away Hindu votes from Congress. We already have a history that Amarinder’s previous stint as CM, during which he warmed up to Pakistan, had annoyed Hindu voters. We paid a heavy price for that. It is a matter of record that we lost in all those constituencies through which Amarinder took the golden palanquin that he was gifted to Nankana Sahib. They did not like Congress Chief Minister cosying up to Pakistan. We have learnt our lesson and will not repeat the mistake.”