Sidhu calls Pakistan PM Imran ‘Bade Bhai’ at Kartarpur Sahib; Draws BJP’s ire

New Delhi, Nov 20: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Saturday shared a video of Navjot Singh Sidhu, in which the Congress leader addressed Pakistan Prime Minister, his friend since cricket days, as his “elder brother”. Slamming Sidhu, BJP spokesperson Amit Malviya, tweeted: “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?”

Sidhu has created controversy after he hugged Pakistan Army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa during the swearing-in ceremony of Imran Khan as prime minister. The over four-km long Kartarpur corridor links Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Pakistan’s Kartarpur, the final resting place of Sikhism founder Guru Nanak Dev, to Dera Baba Nanak shrine in Gurdaspur district. Pilgrimage to the gurdwara was suspended in March 2020 due to the Covid pandemic. Punjab Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu was not part of the Channi-led ‘jatha’ (group) which went to pay obeisance at the gurdwara.

Channi, who was accompanied by his family members, Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal, PWD Minister Vijay Inder Singla, MLAs Harpartap Singh Ajnala and Barindermeet Singh Pahra, had crossed over to Pakistan at around 1 pm, officials said in Dera Baba Nanak. The Centre had decided to reopen the Kartarpur corridor from Wednesday. ahead of Gurpurab, which marks the birth anniversary of Guru Nanak, on November 19.