Sena slams Sidhu for visiting Pak, hugging Army chief

The Shiv Sena lashed out today at Punjab minister Navjot Singh Sidhu for visiting Pakistan and hugging its Army chief, dubbing it as "heights of shamelessness".


It also took a dig at the BJP, saying Sidhu was not labelled a traitor, even though people were termed "anti-national" for opposing demonetisation and criticising Prime Minister Narendra Modi.


The cricketer-turned-politician was among the special guests present on Saturday at Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan's oath taking ceremony.


The Shiv Sena claimed Sidhu's act was a "height of shamelessness" as he hugged the Pakistan Army chief who was supporting insurgency in Kashmir.


"Nobody called Sidhu a traitor despite his visit to Pakistan amid opposition and the situation (in Jammu and Kashmir), but there are some people who are easily labelled as anti-national for opposing note ban or criticising Modi," it said in an editorial in party mouthpiece 'Saamana'.


Earlier, Modi had hugged the then Pakistan prime minister Nawaz Sharif and it was called his "masterstroke", it said, adding, "then how can we criticise Sidhu alone".


Though Sidhu was now with the Congress, he had been with the BJP for a long time and "the BJP should introspect where exactly its 'sanskar' (teachings) fell short", it said. "The prime minister is known for taking strong steps, and he could have simply issued a similar ban against those who wished to visit Pakistan," the editorial said. -- PTI