Sidhu-Pakistan row: BJP slams Navjot Singh Sidhu for comparing South India with Pakistan; says, 'join Imran Khan's Cabinet
Launching a scathing attack on Congress' Punjab Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu over his controversial statement on South Indians and comparing them with Pakistan, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) asked him to become part of Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan’s cabinet.
“This is the ‘conspiracy’ of the Congress party to divide the nation into the lines of north and south parts of the country,” claimed BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra, while speaking to reporters.
“The kind of love he (Sidhu) exudes for Pakistan, the only advice which we can give is Sidhu please proceed to become a part of Imran Khan’s cabinet. Repeatedly engaging with Pakistan shows a conspiracy. It depicts his mentality to divide north and south India and that is a strategy being followed by the whole of Congress,” Patra said.
Earlier, while speaking at the first edition of Kasauli Literature Festival, the cricketer-turned-politician jumped into controversy by saying that visiting Pakistan is better than going to South India due to ‘language and food problems’.
“When I go to South India, I can hardly understand a word, except for two-three like vadakkam. I am okay with the food there. I can have dishes like idli but then I cannot have the South Indian cuisine for long. But if I go to Pakistan, they speak Punjabi and English and I can relate more to them. Everything there is amazing,” said Sidhu
The cricketer-turned-politician also reiterated that he does not regret hugging Pakistan Army chief Qamar Javed Bajwa. “If somebody tells me that they are ready to open the Kartarpur corridor. I mean they said it 400 times that we are ready to open the corridor then this is the way I show affection. I will hug and also kiss them,” said the Punjab minister.
First published: 15 October 2018, 11:40 IST