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POLITICS

he visit of Cricketer turned Sidhu on the firing line Punjab cabinet Tripat Rajinder Singh put the dignity of the country at risk. Sidhu on this issue said Phoolka.
politician and Minister Local Bajwa also disapproved Sidhu’s action This should be condemned in the worst But BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra
government, Tourism, Cul- and said that he should apologise for possible terms, said Malik. The Punjab wondered in what capacity Navjot
tural Affairs and Museums, hugging the Pakistan army chief. He BJP chief demanded an apology from Singh Sidhu attended the oath taking
T Punjab, Navjot Singh Sidhu over his Pakistan visit said Sidhu was his senior and as such Navjot Sidhu over his act. ceremony of Pakistan’s Prime Minister.
to Islamabad in Pakistan to attend the he cannot force him to say sorry. Bu Shiromani Akali Dal spokesperson Condemning Sidhu’s move, Patra said
swearing-in ceremony of Prime Min- he went on to add as a suggestion that and former minister Daljit Singh Chee- the Congress leader hugged those same
ister Imran Khan raised a furore in Amidst all the brouhaha over Navjot Singh Sidhu’s visit to attend Sidhu can say sorry to the families of ma also came down heavily on Sidhu. people who were responsible for ter-
the political circles in India with the Imran Khan’s oath ceremony, Sidhu said it was the message of martyrs who expressed unhappiness When the entire country was mourn- rorist acts in India. He questioned if Sid-
BJP and several other political parties over Sidhu’s action. ing the death of Prime Minister Atal hu take permission from the Congress
making a scathing attack on him. Even love he took to Pakistan, writes RAJENDRA KHATRY Bihari Vajpayee, Sidhu and no officials party before going to Pakistan to attend
his Congress party was unsparing. A functions were being held for a week, Imran Khan’s swearing-in ceremony?
man from Muzaffarpur in Bihar even Sidhu had no compunction in attend- Even senior BJP leader from Bihar
filed a case of sedition against Sidhu. ing the official ceremonial function in a Shatrughan Sinha defended Sidhu.
Sidhu incidentally, not just sat next foreign country.’’ This was going against He said there was nothing wrong
to Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK) the decorum by a minister of one of the neither any scope for controversy over
‘president’ during the swearing cer- states, said Cheema. Further condemn- Sidhu’s action. He said even Late Prime
emony, but was also seen hugging ing Sidhu’s act, Daljit Singh Cheema Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and
Pakistan’s Army Chief. India, appar- said that sitting next to PoK head and Narendra Modi hugged their Pakistani
ently does not recognise the entity of counterparts during their visits to
PoK and the BJP’s antipathy was natu- that country.
ral. The hugging of Pakistan Army Chief However, even as the national
General, Qamar Javed Bajwa and, later Navjot Singh Sidhu parties and their leaders condemned
sitting along with PoK president was incidentally, not Sidhu, Punjab Congress party president
seen in a very poor light. This happened Balram Jakhar defended him. He said
at a time when India has broken talks just sat next to the BJP must understand and respect
with Pakistan due to its frequent firing PoK ‘president’ the spirit behind Sidhu’s move. Sidhu
on the borders and its clandestine ter- is a friend of Imran Khan. Both played
rorist attacks in Jammu and Kashmir. during the swearing cricket together. People should not
So incensed was the BJP over this ceremony, but forget that even Atal Bihari Vajpayee
development that it went on to describe had held talks with Pakistan even
Sidhu’s visit, his hugging Pakistan Army was also seen after the Kargil war, said Jakhar. He said
General Bajwa and sitting next to the hugging Pakistan’s no one was talking about the real issue
Pak Occupied Kashmir (PoK) President of possibility of opening of the Kartar-
as ‘shameful’. The BJP also questioned Army Chief pur corridor while attacking Sidhu.
Sidhu’s visit to Pakistan when India was The country will soon be celebrating
mourning the death of former Prime the 550the birth anniversary of Guru
Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. hugging army chief sent a wrong mes- Nanak Dev ji, he said.
Haryana’s Health and Sports Min- sage to the Indian armed foces and On his part, Sidhu has defended
ister Anil Vij went on to describe Nav- Sidhu should realize his mistake. his move to go to Pakistan and attend
jot Singh Sidhu as a Pakistani agent. Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which hap- Prime Minister Imran Khan’s oath cere-
“Navjot Sidhu is behaving like an agent pens to be the main opposition party in mony. Amidst all the brouhaha over his
of Pakistan in India,” tweeted Anil Vij Punjab also condemnd Sidhu’s act. Har- visit he said he took the message of love
to express his loath and disgust with pal Cheema, AAP MLA and leader of op- to Pakistan and hoped that after the
his visit and behaviour. Vij said the position after Sukhpal Singh Khaira was accession of Imran khan to the post of
Congress leader, instead of feeling accused Vij. “This is an act of disloy- of Punjab minister Navjot Singh Sidhu’s No less sparing was Punjab BJP chief recently removed from thepost, said the Prime Minister, relations between
sorry had brazenly defended his action alty towards India and cannot be tol- act of hugging the Pakistan army chief. Shwait Malik who referred to Sidhu’s Sidhu’s act of hugging the army chief the two nations will improve. He said
and at the same time also questioned erated,’’ said Vij. The Haryana minister Capt Amarinder Singh said it was cer- action as ‘anti-national’. While hugging deserves condemnation. Reacting to hugging General Bajwa was just a
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to also demanded an explanation from tainly not a nice gesture from Sidhu Pakistani army chief did Sidhu forget the issue AAP MLA and senior advocate natural and emotional response to
Pakistan earlier. the Congress party over its member’s and he should have avoided indulging the Indian soldiers killed everyday by H S Phoola said any Sikh would have the statement of Pakistan’s army chief
Sidhu, he said, is also heaping prais- behaviour. in such an action. He said Pakistan has that country. Did he even forget that the hugged Pak army chief when he told that they were making plans for open-
es on Pakistan. Even Pakistan’s newly Sidhu was under fire not just from refused to mend its ways and Indian Pakistani troops beheaded our Indian Sidhu about their desire to open the ing the Kartarpur Gurdwara for Sikh
elected Prime Minister has defended the BJP and others, but from his own soldiers are dying everyday on the bor- soldiers. And then on top of all this Sid- Kartarpur Sahib corridor during Guru pilgrims near Lahore.
him. These are enough proof that Sid- party men as well. Punjab Chief Minis- ders due to Pakistan’s firing. hu sat with the head of PoK and hugged Nanak’s 550th Parkash Utsav soon.
hu is behaving like a Pakistani agent, ter Amarinder Singh also disapproved Navjot Singh Sidhu’s colleague in the their army chief. Sidhu, he charged, has There is no reason for people to criticise LETTERS@TEHELKA.COM

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