In poll season, Congress hopes Capt’s narrative prevails over Sidhu’s

Saturday, 02/03/2019

https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/punjab/in-poll-season-congress-hopes-capt-s-narrative-prevails-over-sidhu-s/737020.html

New Delhi, March 2: As top leaders of Punjab Congress–Chief Minister Amarinder Singh and Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu--wove counter-narratives around the prevailing Indo-Pakistan tensions, the party hoped for the narrative of the Chief Minister to prevail.

A day after advocating “peace and dialogue” with Pakistan as the only solution to countering terrorism, Sidhu visited Twitter again and took a veiled swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The Punjab minister quoted Chanakya to say that a war in which the life of the king is not at risk is not a war; it is politics. He then tweeted “War is the refuge for a failed government. How many more innocent lives and jawans will you sacrifice for your hollow political motives?”

Sidhu targeting the PM, Congress sources said, did not sit well with the party’s decision to avoid politicisation of the goings-on. “Sidhu's comments are needless and avoidable,” a senior Punjab Congress leader said.
That explains why the Congress had distanced itself from Sidhu’s pro-dialogue stance in relation to Pakistan calling it his personal opinion and adding that “there is a time to talk and there is a time to act”.
The Congress, meanwhile, took heart in what it called “deft and wise moves” Punjab CM Amarinder Singh made in the wake of the Pulwama attack by visiting the state’s border areas, engaging the troops, boosting their morale, meeting the families of jawans martyred in Pulwama and taking a matter-of-fact line on Pakistan.

Amarinder’s latest poser to Pakistan PM Imran Khan was well received in the Congress as he asked Pakistan to “acknowledge the existence of Prisoners of War of 1971 and send them back”.

Walking a tight rope post Pulwama, Congress leaders privately hailed Singh’s calibrated stand after the February 14 attack saying it had been appreciated nationally cutting across party lines.

“We hope this sentiment prevails,” a Congress leader said flashing a video of Amarinder Singh meeting border troops in Punjab and joining them in the war cry chant ‘Bole so nihal’.

Meanwhile, the Chief Election Commissioner said the Lok Sabha elections would be held as per schedule.

Oomen thanks Sidhu, Imran 

Meanwhile, Oomen Chandy tweeted praises of Sidhu. While the Congress officially distanced itself from Sidhu’s statement, former Kerala CM and AICC general secretary for Andhra Pradesh decided to thank Imran Khan and Sidhu for the pilot’s release.

Chandy tweeted praises of Sidhu, saying, “#WelcomeHomeAbhinandan - Thanks to genuine efforts of @sherryontopp and the goodwill gesture from @ImranKhanPTI. Yes, courage is contagious and I hope peace will ensue on both sides of the border.”