By Express News Service
CHANDIGARH: Punjab Congress President Navjot Singh Sidhu has once again ruffled feathers by calling Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan ‘big brother’ as he paid obeisance at Darbar Sahib gurdwara in Pakistan on Saturday after going through the visa-free Kartarpur corridor. He also requested the Union government to open the border for trade with Pakistan.
A video of Sidhu surfaced in which he is being welcomed by a Pakistani official on his entry into the country via the Kartarpur corridor on behalf of Pakistan PM Imran Khan. In the video, the Congress leader is heard saying Khan was like a ‘bada bhai’ to him and that he loved him a lot.
The cricketer-turned-politician Sidhu batted for opening the corridor for cross-border trade as he went through the corridor and came back. “I request that if you want to change Punjab’s life, we should open the borders (for cross-border trade). Why should we go through Mundra Port, a total of 2100 km? Why not from here, where it’s only 21 km (to Pakistan),” Sidhu said.
He said, “With the efforts of PM Narendra Modi and Pakistan PM Imran Khan, reopening of Kartarpur Sahib Corridor has been made possible.”
The BJP hit out at the Congress over Sidhu’s remarks, alleging the opposition party sees terror groups like IS and Boko Haram in Hindutva while it finds a “bhai jaan” in Khan.
It is a serious matter of concern for India, BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra said as the ruling party seized on the issue to target the Congress.
He claimed that there was a larger design at work, and Sidhu’s comments were linked to a number of Congress leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, criticising Hindutva.
Referring to Congress leader Salman Khurshid’s statement in his latest book, Patra said the opposition party sees terror groups such as the ISIS and the Boko Haram in Hindutva while it finds a “bhai jaan” in Khan.
It is being done for appeasement politics as the Congress still believes that there is a section in India which will be happy with praise for Pakistan.
There are no such people in India though, Patra added.
He noted that Sidhu had praised Khan and Pakistan earlier too and had hugged its army chief Qamar Javed Bajwa during an earlier trip to the neighbouring country.
Noting that Punjab is a border state where Pakistan tries to foment troubles, Patra said it needs a mature and patriotic leadership.
Sidhu is not right for India and Punjab deserves better than him, he said.
Pakistan’s foreign minister had recently described Hindutva as a threat to global security, and he had borrowed the term from Rahul Gandhi, the BJP leader alleged.
To a question about Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi writing a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the farmers’ issue, Patra shot back and asked if she also considers Khan an elder brother like Sidhu as she had in the past called the Punjab leader her brother.
Sharing the video, BJP IT department head Amit Malviya tweeted, “Rahul Gandhi’s favourite Navjot Singh Sidhu calls Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan his bada bhai. Last time he had hugged Gen Bajwa, Pakistan Army’s Chief, heaped praises. Is it any surprise that the Gandhi siblings chose a Pakistan loving Sidhu over veteran Amarinder Singh?”
Punjab Sports Minister Pargat Singh who is considered close to Sidhu said, “When PM Modi goes to Pakistan he is a ‘Desh Premi’, when Sidhu goes, he is ‘Desh Drohi’. Cannot I call you a brother? We follow Guru Nanak Dev’s philosophy.”
Earlier, former Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh had called Sidhu a national security threat as he has relations with Imran Khan and Qamar Bajwa.
(With inputs from agencies)
