New Delhi: Punjab Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu on Saturday addressed Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan as his ‘Bada Bhai’ ‘elder brother’ and raked a controversy.
Sidhu made the assertion of “bada bhai” while interacting with the CEO of the Kartarpur project in Pakistan which portrayed a repeat of 2018 when he visited Pakistan for the swearing-in ceremony of the latter and hugged the army chief there.
Responding to Sidhu’s remarks, BJP IT Cell head Amit Malviya slammed the Congress high-command for favouring ‘Pakistan loving Sidhu over veteran Amarinder Singh’.
“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?” asked Malviya.
In 2018, Sidhu raked a controversy when he hugged Pakistan Army chief General Bajwa during his visit to Pakistan for Imran Khan’s oath-taking ceremony.
After returning from Kartarpur Sahib Gurdwara, Sidhu demanded opening of the corridor for cross-border trade.
Responding to the controversy over Sidhu’s calling Khan his “bada bhai”, Punjab minister Pargat Singh, who was accompanying Sidhu during his visit to Kartarpur Sahib Gurdwara, said: “When PM Modi goes (to Pakistan) he is a “Desh Premi”, when Sidhu goes, he is “Desh Drohi”. Can’t I call you a brother? We follow Guru Nanak Dev’s philosophy.”
However, Sidhu’s Congress party MP Manish Tewari slammed him for his “bada bhai” remark.
“Imran Khan may be anybody’s elder brother but for India he is that cat’s paw of Pakistan deep state ISI-military combine that drones arms and narcotics into Punjab and sends terrorists on a daily basis across LOC in J&K. Have we forgotten martyrdom of our soldiers in Poonch so soon?” Tewari asked in a tweet.
