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Kartarpur: Big row over Navjot Sidhu’s ‘bada bhai’ reference to Imran Khan
Punjab Congress chief Navjot Sidhu, along with two ministers and some party MLAs, visited Kartarpur Sahib gurdwara on Saturday
Another row erupted over Punjab Congress president Navjot Singh Sidhu’s ‘bada bhai’ (elder brother) reference to Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan on Saturday during his visit to Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur.
Sharp reactions came not only from the opposition BJP and SAD, but Congress’s MP Manish Tewari, too, took a dig at the cricketer-turned-politician for his remark.
Accompanied by ministers Pargat Singh, Sangat Singh Gilzian and some party MLAs, Sidhu was welcomed by Kartarpur Corridor Project Management Unit CEO Muhammad Latif at zero point on behalf of Pakistan PM. “I am greatly honoured. He (Khan) gave us a lot of love. I don’t deserve this honour. Thank you very much,” he said.
In 2018, Sidhu came under severe criticism when he hugged then Pakistan army chief Qamar Javed Bajwa during the oath-taking ceremony of Imran Khan as prime minister. During the inaugural ceremony of the corridor, Sidhu attended the event as a special guest of Khan.
‘People pick petty things, ignore real issues I raise’
On returning from Kartarpur gurdwara said people pick petty things and ignore the real issues that he raises. “I am very thankful to the prime ministers of both the countries for reopening the corridor,” he said while interacting with the media at Dera Baba Nanak.
Sidhu demanded opening of trade between both the countries through the Punjab border. “When the former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee went to Pakistan on a bus, people of both Punjabs were on toes to welcome him. We should learn from the European countries how they opened their borders after suffering from massive destruction in World Wars. This resulted in re-emergence of Europe. If trade between Mumbai and Karachi is open, why the trade between both Punjabs is shut? We have the same language, dress and food habits. So, the issue that I have been raising since long needs to be look into.”
He also underlined the need for being liberal in granting visas to pilgrims.
Tewari’s dig at Sidhu
Congress spokesperson and Anandpur Sahib MP Manish Tewari took a dig at Navjot Sidhu over his ‘bada bhai’ remark. “Imran Khan may be anybody’s elder brother but for India, he is that cat’s paw of Pak Deep State ISI-Military combine that drones arms & narcotics into Punjab & sends terrorists on a daily basis across LOC in J&K. Have we forgotten martyrdom of our soldiers in Poonch so soon?” he tweeted.
Sidhu acting like a Pak agent: Chugh
In a statement, Chugh said it was unfortunate for Punjab and the country that Sidhu, while in Pakistan, has nothing good to say about his own motherland and instead praising the prime minister of Pakistan, the country that sends drones, drugs and tiffin bombs to Punjab.
Chugh said it proved that “Sidhu is more in love with Pakistan than India” and is behaving like a “Pakistan agent”.
Chugh urged AICC president Sonia Gandhi to explain their party’s stand on Pakistan. Chugh said that it was grossly condemnable and reprehensible that on the one hand, Pakistan has been killing our jawans on the border, on the other hand, the Congress leaders were heaping praises on the Pakistan prime minister.
“The Congress stands exposed for its anti-national designs at a time when Punjab as a border state has been struggling to defeat the nefarious plots of Pakistan,” Chugh said.
Meanwhile, Aam Aadmi Party’s co-incharge for Punjab Raghav Chadha, too, attacked Sidhu. “Deeply worrying that Punjab’s ruling party chief & Chief Minister are professing their love for Pak PM & Pakistan — a country that exports terror,executes terror modules, sends tiffin bombs & drones arms/drugs into Punjab. Do Sidhu and Channi not value the martyrdom of our jawans (sic.)?” he tweeted.
