Sidhu’s act of hugging Bajwa demoralised Indian soldiers: Sitharaman

Tribune News Service
New Delhi, September 18

Ministers of the Bharatiya Janata Party continue to criticise Punjab Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu over last month’s visit to Pakistan where he was caught on camera hugging the country’s army general Qamar Javed Bajwa.  

Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on Tuesday that Sidhu’s popularity made his action significantly worse.   

“I speak as Raksha Mantri, hence with double (sic) responsibility—Sidhu should have avoided that singular gesture of hugging the Army Chief. He’s popular: his action has demoralised soldiers and people,” she said.

Sidhu visited Pakistan on August 17 to attend the swearing in ceremony of Pakistan’s new Prime Minister Imran Khan in an event that continues to haunt him a month later. A camera caught Sidhu hugging Bajwa at the function—an act that was excoriated by his critics and gave his former party the BJP ammunition to target the Congress with.