'Bhaiya' controversy is like the Black issue in US: Manish Tewari

Congress MP from Punjab, Manish Tewari on Friday hit out at his own party leaders on the ‘Bhaiya’ issue, saying the controversy is like the Black issue in the US.

This comes amid the party’s efforts to clear air on the controversy. Congress is trying to damage control with Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi and party General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra offering clarification along.

Tewari in a series of Tweets said, “De-Horse Politics – The Bhaiya controversy is like the Black issue in the US . It is reflective of an unfortunate systemic & institutionalised social bias against migrants stretching back to the inception of the Green Revolution.

“At a personal level Despite my mother being a Jat Sikh & my father being the foremost exponent of Punjab – Punjabi- Punjabiyat who laid down his life for Hindu- Sikh amity because of my Sir name it is said behind my back ‘Eh Bhaiya Kithon Agha’ peppered with the choicest expletives in Punjabi – We have to root it out.”

He said, “Such thinking should have no place in the Secular ethos of Punjab grounded in the idiom – Manas Ki Jaat Sabhe Ek Pechan.”

The controversy broke after the Punjab Chief Minister flanked by Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said, “Don’t allow Bhaiyas to rule you,” but later he clarified and claimed that his statement was twisted by the opposition parties and media.

“My statement was against Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, (and AAP leaders) Durgesh Pathak and Sanjay Singh who came from outside and are creating disturbance. My statement is not for common people of Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi and Rajasthan who come to Punjab for work. Their contribution in the making of Punjab is immense and I have great respect for them,” Channi said in a video statement.

“We all are migrant people and we have equal rights on the lands of Punjab. A large number of Punjabi people are also working in other states and in other countries,” Channi had said.