Facing flak for his visit to Pakistan for Imran Khan’s swearing-in as Prime Minister on Saturday, Punjab cabinet minister Navjot Singh Sidhu on Tuesday accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of adopting double standards in the matter.
“When Narendra Modi became Prime Minister of India, he invited heads of SAARC nations including former Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif for the swearingin ceremony. Sharif was accorded a warm welcome. Not only this, Modi, with hope in mind, had suddenly gone to Lahore to attend a family function of former PM Sharif and greet him without even any official formalities. No one is questioning PM Modi,” he said.
Asserting that his visit was not about politics, but a warm invite from an old friend (Imran), the Punjab minister pointed out that former PM late Atal Bihari Vajpayee had also travelled on the bus to Lahore.
The cricketer-turned-politician said such things (meetings with Pakistan leaders) have happened before and also at times when there was tension between the two countries, bullets were sprayed and also when Indian jawans were martyred.
“But now I hope that maybe the new political change in Pakistan is capable of bringing constructive change in the region,” he said.
On his meeting with Pakistan’s Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa, Sidhu said Bajwa met him with enthusiasm after seeing me sitting in the first row.
“He (Bajwa) told me that they were making efforts to open the corridor from India’s Dera Baba Nanak to Kartarpur Sahib to facilitate the pilgrims to pay obeisance on the occasion of the 550th ‘Parkash Diwas’ of Guru Nanak Dev.”
The Congress leader claimed that crores of pilgrims have been waiting to pay obeisance at holy Kartarpur Sahib, the place where Guru Nanak Devi ji spent nearly 18 years of his life.
“Without a thought, this thing said by Gen Bajwa was an emotional moment for me and the result (the hug) was for everyone to see. After that brief meeting in the gathering, I had no meeting with Gen Bajwa,” Sidhu said.
Sidhu said, he, however, is disappointed and hurt over the criticism over this sudden meeting and “emotional reaction.”
Reacting to Punjab Chief Minister Capt. Amarinder Singh’s remarks on his act of hugging Pakistan’s Army Chief, Sidhu said he has “great respect for his leader”, and added, “I am not hurt. Everyone has a point of view.”
Meanwhile, Sidhu also said if India and Pakistan can settle their differences through talks, become good neighbours and increase mutual exchanges in trade and other aspects, then it will be a great hope and message for South Asia.