As a political controversy kicked up in poll-bound Punjab over the casual "panj pyare'' remarks of AICC general secretary Harish Rawat, the senior Congress leader went into damage control, tendering an immediate apology and announcing to sweep a Gurdwara floor to atone for his mistake.
Rawat, who had to earlier eat his words on Captain Amarinder Singh leading the 2022 Punjab polls and clarifying that Gandhis will be the face for the state polls, was rushed to Chandigarh on August 31 to douse the fire between the warring leaders--Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh and PCC chief Navjot Singh Sidhu.
After meeting Sidhu and his team, which had a few days back demanded the exit of the Chief Minister, the AICC general secretary in-charge for the state on Tuesday said he met the PCC chief and his team.
"They are Panj Pyare," he casually remarked while pitching for dividing the responsibilities among the state leaders. He was referring to the Punjab Congress chief and four working presidents after a meeting at the Punjab Congress Bhawan.
The casual remarks kicked up an uproar and gave a tool to the Opposition Akali Dal to rake a political row against Congress as in the Sikh tradition, 'Panj Pyare' is a very honourable term used for five beloved of the Guru. Guru Gobind Singh, the last of the ten Gurus had initiated five men into the order of 'Khalsa' (pure).
Shiromani Akali Dal leader Daljeet S Cheema asked the Congress government in the state to lodge a case against its own leader Harish Rawat for "hurting Sikh sentiments" by referring to PCC chief and his team as "Panj Pyare".
"He should know that Panj Pyare holds significance in Sikhism, should apologise for his remarks, it's not funny," Cheema said.
Sensing the trouble ahead of polls, Rawat quickly went into damage control. Rawat wrote on his Facebook page, "sometimes by expressing respect, you use such words which are objectionable. I too have made a mistake of using the word 'Panj Pyare' for my honourable president and four working presidents”.
Saying that he was a student of the country's history, Rawat acknowledged that the leading position of 'Panj Pyare' could not be compared with any other.
“I have committed a mistake. I apologise for hurting the sentiments of people,” he said adding that he will clean a gurdwara in his state with a broom as atonement.
Rawat, who is Congress CM face for another poll-bound state Uttarakhand said that he always had a sense of dedication and respect to Sikh religion and its great traditions.
Rawat had gone to Chandigarh to resolve the crisis in the party that had started after four ministers, belonging to Sidhu camp with nearly two dozen MLAS had sought removal of the Chief Minister, alleging unfulfilled poll promises by him. The rebel leaders later had a meeting with Rawat in Dehradun on August 25.
With just a few months left for Punjab assembly polls, the internal squabbling within the party's state unit was far from over even after Sidhu was appointed the Punjab Pradesh Congress president.
Rawat on Saturday had met Rahul Gandhi in Delhi and briefed him about the situation in the state. Meanwhile, Shiromani Akali Dal Daljit Singh Cheema took exception to Rawat’s alleged 'Panj Pyaras' remarks and demanded an apology from him.