Cricketer-turned-politician Sidhu had courted controversy by hugging Pakistan Army chief Qamar Javed Bajwa. Cricketer-turned-politician Sidhu had courted controversy by hugging Pakistan Army chief Qamar Javed Bajwa. On a day when the ruling BJP sought a response from the Congress leadership over Punjab minister Navjot Singh Sidhu’s gesture of hugging Pakistan Army chief, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said his action had an impact on the Indian soldiers and the Congress leader could have avoided it. “Sidhu has a lot of admirers… somebody of that stature going there and then hugging the chief of the Army, an Army about which in India we have very clear feelings, it certainly has an impact on soldiers…, it demoralises the people. I wish Sidhu would have avoided it (hug),” Sitharaman said during an interaction with reporters at Indian Women’s Press Corps. Cricketer-turned-politician Sidhu had courted controversy by hugging Pakistan Army chief Qamar Javed Bajwa during his visit to Pakistan for the swearing-in of Imran Khan as the Prime Minister. He had claimed he did so as Bajwa told him that the Pakistan government was working for opening of the Kartarpur corridor for Sikh pilgrims from Punjab in India. Meanwhile, the BJP on Tuesday accused Sidhu of demeaning India and speaking as an agent of Pakistan by attempting to “justify” hugging Pakistani Army chief Qamar Javed Bajwa and claiming that Pakistan is willing to allow Sikh pilgrims access to a gurudwara on its territory. At a press conference at the party head quarters, BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra also demanded a response from Congress president Rahul Gandhi over the issue, saying Sidhu had been speaking on the matter with his permission as Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh has already condemned him over his conduct in Pakistan during the swearing-in ceremony of Imran Khan recently. He also accused Sidhu of meeting External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj deceptively as she had given appointment to former Union minister M S Gill with whom, Patra alleged Sidhu tagged along. Patra said Swaraj reprimanded Sidhu in their meeting on Monday for his conduct in Pakistan. Meanwhile, SAD leader and Union minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal also asked Congress president Rahul Gandhi to “tell what action he will take against Congress minister Navjot Sidhu for betraying the people of the country and misusing Sikh sentiments on the Kartarpur corridor issue to hide his traitorous conduct”. In statement here, Harsimrat said “the cat is out of the bag” and “It is now clear that there is no Pakistan proposal to open the Kartarpur corridor. The same has been officially announced by Union External Affairs minister Sushma Swaraj”. For all the latest Chandigarh News, download Indian Express App

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