'ISI agent', 'Thugs of Barmer', Cong MPs attack party leaders

New Delhi, Feb 12 (IANS) Congress MP Manish Tewari and Jasbir Singh Gill Dimpa have attacked the party leaders for creating Hindu-Sikh divide in Punjab. Addressing a public meeting on Saturday, Tewari tore into their own party leaders and termed them ISI agents.

"There is no Hindu-Sikh Divide in Punjab. Anyone who tries to create this artificial division is an ISI agent", Manish Tewari said in Garhshankar while campaigning for the party candidate.

When contacted Tewari did not reveal the name but sources said that it could be directed towards Ambika Soni, a top party leader, who advocated for a Sikh Chief Minister after the exit of Amarinder Singh. The issue has miffed former Punjab party President Sunil Jakhar who did not contest elections this time.

Another MP Jasbir Singh Gill Dimpa has been targeting party AICC In charge Harish Chaudhary. Dimpa tweeted: "Correctly said @sunilkjakhar, immature, incapable, corrupt people like THUG OF BARMER are responsible for present mess in Pb Congress."

Both the leaders are not in good terms with the party central leadership. The Congress has omitted party's lone non-Sikh Lok Sabha MP from the state, Manish Tewari, who represents Anandpur Sahib from the star campaigners list.

Tewari, a former Union minister, is a prominent face in the party who was one of the signatories in the letter written by the G-23 leaders to Sonia Gandhi.

Sources said that with Punjab having 40 per cent Hindu population and a significant number of migrants from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, Tewari would have been an ideal pick as he not only represents the Hindu community, but also strikes a chord with the migrants because of his roots in Uttar Pradesh.

Anandpur Sahib has always been a stronghold of the Sikh faith and Tewari had won the seat in 2019 after senior party leader Ambika Soni unsuccessfully contested the seat in 2014.

His supporters are miffed with his omission from the star campaigners' list, saying that he being the only Hindu leader to get elected to the Lok Sabha from the state, what kind of a message is the party trying to send across by ignoring Tewari.

Sources said that Tewari is perceived to be close to former Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, which could be a reason for Congress not naming him in the star campaigners' list.