Navjot Singh Sidhu, the disgruntled Punjab Congress chief, has warned that he would ‘wreak havoc’ on the party if he was not allowed freedom in decision-making. The warning comes a day after he was put on notice by the party to sack his advisors who recently made controversial statements on Kashmir and Pakistan. One of the advisors quit today.

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“I have asked the high command to allow me to make decisions and I will ensure that the Congress prospers in the state for the next two decades. Nahi toh eet se eent baja doon,(or I will wreak havoc),” said Navjot Sidhu at a public meeting in Amritsar, according to a video tweeted by news agency ANI. He took over as Congress’s Punjab chief after  a protracted feud with Chief Minister Amarinder Singh.

Responding to Sidhu’s threat, Congress’s Punjab in-charge Harish Rawat said, “I can’t question him on the basis of media speculation… I will see the context of the statement. He is party chief, who other than him can take decisions,” Mr Rawat said.

On Thursday, Rawat had warned Sidhu that he should sack his advisors.  “These advisors were not appointed by the party. We have asked Sidhu to dismiss them. If Sidhu does not do that, I will. We do not want people who embarrass the party,” Rawat had told NDTV.

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Sidhu’s advisors Pyare Lal Garg and Malwinder Mali landed in controversy with their recent comments on Pakistan and Kashmir. In Facebook posts, Mali described Kashmir as a ‘country of Kashmiri people’ and that both India and Pakistan were illegal occupants of Kashmir. He had also questioned why Jammu and Kashmir has been “turned into an open jail.”

Sidhu and Amarinder have been having a running feud over Sidhu’s demand for a lucrative post in the party. He reportedly was eyeing the deputy CM’s post but finally in a pact brokered by the Gandhis, he was made the PCC chief.

Even after getting the post, Sidhu continued to take potshots at the CM and his policies. His advisors’ comments led to the current showdown forcing the central leadership to intervene.