“I do not think he has done anything wrong. We must look at it from the macro level.” “I do not think he has done anything wrong. We must look at it from the macro level.” Veteran Army officers have come out in support of Navjot Singh Sidhu and have termed the barbs being directed at the minister for his “hug” as “petty”. All the officers whom The Indian Express spoke to are veterans of wars against Pakistan. With the exception of one Brigadier, who thought Sidhu had gone overboard, four officers felt that there was no need to make such a hue and cry over the matter. We should not be petty. The man goes there and someone comes up to him and they hug each other, so what…We are big country and we should behave like a big country. Japhi paa layi te fer kee hoya (If they hugged each other, so what) It is the Punjabi way to greet somebody — Lt General Depinder Singh (retd) I do not think he has done anything wrong. We must look at it from the macro level. By hugging, it does not mean that he has sold the country out. If someone can hug the Prime Minister of Pakistan then the Army Chief comes under the PM. Here he has just hugged a person who came to him and said hello…If he has hugged him no heavens have fallen. He has not told him that we will not fire on them on the LoC— Lt General Tej Sapru (retd) So what if he hugged the Pak Army Chief?…The right wing which is making all the noise because they know they do not have the capability of doing anything to Pakistan. I have attended seminars where retired Pakistani Army officers also come and we hug each other. It is a non-issue— Lt General H S Panag (retd) At least some channel of communication should be kept open with the Pak Army Chief. There can be back channel diplomacy through such common meeting ground. People criticising this are fools. When we meet Pakistani counterparts at flag meetings we meet with due regards with each other. And when need be we kill each other also. — Brigadier Surinder Singh (retd) To get emotional over something and then hug him especially when so many of our troops are being killed in Pakistan sponsored counter insurgency and on the LoC is not right. I fully agree with what Capt Amarinder Singh said in this regard criticising Sidhu— Brigadier M P S Bajwa (retd) Start your day the best way with the Express Morning Briefing For all the latest Chandigarh News, download Indian Express App

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