Sidhu calls Imran Khan as 'elder brother', BJP, AAP lambast

Punjab Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu refers to Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan as 'elder brother' at Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur in Pakistan, draws brickbats from BJP, AAP and from party colleague Manish Tewari.

Gurdaspur:Punjab Pradesh Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu on Saturday addressed Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan as his 'elder brother', and drew flak from the BJP's IT cell in charge Amit Malviya.

Amit Malviya who lambasted Sidhu for this took to Twitter and wrote, "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?"

Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla who joined issue with Sidhu suggested that the people's representatives exercise caution while making statements.

"I am not the spokesperson of Navjot Singh Sidhu. I request that people's representatives should, both inside the parliament and outside, uphold the interests of the country," the speaker said.

Cricketer turned politician Gautam Gambhir adviced Sidhu to send his son or daughter to the border before calling the head of a terrorist state as big brother. "Send ur son or daughter to the border & then call a terrorist state head ur big brother! #Disgusting#Spineless," Gambhir wrote in twitter.

Aam Aadmi Party's (AAP) leader Raghav Chadha asked if Sidhu and Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi do not value the martyrdom of Indian soldiers. "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," he said in a tweet.

Congress MP Manish Tewari tweeted, "@ImranKhanPTI 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," the MP from Anandpur Sahib said.

Sidhu later dismissed the criticism by the BJP. "Let BJP say whatever they want...," Sidhu told reporters at the border point in Gurdaspur when asked for his response to the BJP's attack on him.

His visit comes after a fresh tussle erupted in Punjab Congress following the exclusion of Sidhu's name from Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi-led delegation comprising state Cabinet ministers that visited the Kartarpur Sahib on November 18.

The Kartarpur Corridor, which links Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Pakistan, the final resting place of Sikhism founder Guru Nanak Dev, to Dera Baba Nanak shrine in Gurdaspur district, reopened on Wednesday. It was closed in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The visa-free 4.7-kilometre long corridor joins the Indian border to Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Pakistan. It became operational in 2019.

Earlier, Imran Khan government of Pakistan lauded Sidhu's role in the opening of the corridor for Sikh pilgrimage site Kartarpur Sahib between the two countries.

The camaraderie between Imran Khan and Sidhu has been in the news since 2018 when the latter attended the oath-taking ceremony of the Pakistan PM. Sidhu has never failed to receive brickbats for the same.

Sidhu was also effusive in his praise for the former Pakistan cricket captain on another matter. "I am thankful to PM (Imran Khan) for taking the first step and the other side (India) responded with two steps. I had already said that those favouring the 'laanga' (corridor) would have blessings and those opposing it had no value," he said.

(With agency inputs)