Punjab Cabinet Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu met External Affairs Minister of India Sushma Swaraj and asked her to initiate a dialogue with Pakistan for opening up of the Kartarpur Sahib corridor.
However, Union Minister of India and Akali leader Harsimrat Kaur Badal claimed that Swaraj “reprimanded” Sidhu for “messing up” the issue and accused him of “misusing” the political clearance granted to him for visiting Pakistan to attend Imran Khan’s swearing-in ceremony as the prime minister. “External Affairs Minister (Swaraj) reprimanded Sidhu for messing up Kartarpur Sahib corridor dialogue and misusing political clearance granted for private visit by hugging military chief responsible for killing our soldiers,” Badal said.
The MEA did not issue any official statement regarding this. However, quoting sources, Indian Express stated that the issue of the Kartarpur border had been discussed and they were waiting for an official proposal from Pakistan. On reprimanding Sidhu, sources quoted by IE stated that it was ‘quite correct’ and added that Swaraj had told Sidhu that his conduct in Pakistan was not in line with the purpose of the visit.
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She further told him that he should not “politicise” the issue of Kartarpur corridor which is quite “sensitive” and said that Harsimrat Badal had already brought the issue to her notice.
IE reported quoting sources that Sidhu met Swaraj along with another senior Congress leader and a former Rajya Sabha MP to discuss the issue with her.
Earlier, Sidhu had been caught up in a controversy after hugging Pakistan Army Chief Qamar Jawed Bajwa. He later clarified his action by stating that the chief had then informed him that the Pakistan government was working out opening of the Kartarpur corridor for Sikh pilgrims from Indian state of Punjab.
