Imran Khan Backs Sidhu, Says Attack Over Hug ‘Disservice to Peace’

Sidhu has come under fire for hugging Pakistan Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa.

(Photo: Altered by The Quint)

Video Producer: Debayan Dutta

Video Editor: Ashutosh Bharadwaj

As controversy around his hug with Pakistan Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa peaked, Punjab Cabinet Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu on Tuesday, 21 August found support from none other than the newly inducted Pakistan Prime Minister.

Imran Khan tweeted that those attacking Sidhu are doing a “great disservice to peace”.

“It Was An Emotional Moment”, Sidhu Says

In a press conference on Tuesday afternoon, Sidhu said his hug with Bajwa came from an emotional place, after the latter had spoken of peace between the two countries.

Sidhu further compared his visit to Vajpayee and Modi’s visits to Pakistan as prime ministers.

In the past also efforts for peace have been made, the late Atal Bihari Vajpayee had taken ‘dosti bus’ to Lahore, and he had invited Musharraf. PM Modi invited Nawaz Sharif to oath-taking, he also went suddenly to Lahore.

Navjot Singh Sidhu

He also said he had been sent the invitation to attend Imran Khan’s swearing-in ten times, but had not been granted permission by the Indian government. It was only two days after he received his Pakistan visa that External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj informed him that he had been granted permission, he said

For Congress, Is Indian Army Chief ‘Sadak ke Gunde’, and Pak Army Chief ‘Sone de Munde’?: BJP Retaliates

Minutes after Sidhu’s press conference, BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra held a counter-press conference, alleging that Sidhu was attempting to “implicate Indians”.

It’s sad that Navjot Sidhu has somewhat tried to implicate India in all this by saying Indians have small hearts. We condemn this. We want an answer on this not from Sidhu ji but from Rahul ji. Is Rahul ji trying to run a parallelgovernment?

Patra further alleged that by hugging General Bajwa, Sidhu had insulted the Indian army.

So for Congress, our Army Chief is ‘sadak ke gunde’ and Pakistan Army Chief is ‘sone de munde’?

Sedition Case Filed Against Sidhu for Hugging Pak Army Chief

On Monday, 20 August, Bihar lawyer Sudhur Ojha filed a case against Sidhu in the Muzaffarpur Chief Judicial Magistrate court for “insulting” the Indian Army by hugging the Pakistan Army chief at the swearing in of Imran Khan as prime minister

According to IANS, Ojha in his complaint said Sidhu’s gesture had “hurt” the people of India, and has filed the case under IPC sections involving sedition. The court has admitted the case and has scheduled it for hearing on 24 August.

Meanwhile, several on Twitter ridiculed the fact that a ‘hug’ had resulted in a sedition case.

(With inputs from IANS.)