NewsBytes
    Hindi Tamil Telugu
    More
    In the news
    Narendra Modi
    Amit Shah
    Box Office Collection
    Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)
    OTT releases
    Hindi Tamil Telugu
    NewsBytes
    User Placeholder

    Hi,

    Logout

    India
    Business
    World
    Politics
    Sports
    Technology
    Entertainment
    Auto
    Lifestyle
    Inspirational
    Career
    Bengaluru
    Delhi
    Mumbai

    Download Android App

    Follow us on
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Linkedin
    Home / News / Politics News / Sidhu's Pakistan Army Chief hug comes back to haunt him
    Next Article
    Sidhu's Pakistan Army Chief hug comes back to haunt him

    Sidhu's Pakistan Army Chief hug comes back to haunt him

    By Shiladitya Ray
    Sep 18, 2018
    05:59 pm

    What's the story

    Ever since cricketer-turned-politician Navjot Singh Sidhu hugged Pakistan Army Chief General Bajwa, the incident has haunted him.

    Following his hug, Sidhu faced severe criticism from Punjab CM Captain Amarinder Singh, got slapped with sedition charges, and received flak from all quarters.

    Now, Defense Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has said that his hug negatively affected Indian soldiers.

    Here's more on what she said.

    Sitharaman's words

    What Defense Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had to say

    During an interaction at the Indian Women's Press Corp (IWPC), Sitharaman shared her two cents on Sidhu's hug.

    She said that Sidhu had a "lot of admirers", and his act of hugging the Army Chief of Pakistan, with whom India has far-from-cordial relations, was uncalled for and could have been "avoided".

    She added that the move had a demoralizing effect on soldiers.

    Quote

    Sitharaman: Man of Sidhu's stature shouldn't have hugged Bajwa

    "Sidhu has a lot of admirers...somebody of that stature going there and then hugging the Chief of the Army, an army about which in India we have very clear feelings, it certainly has an impact on soldiers. It demoralizes the people," were Sitharaman's exact words.

    Swaraj meeting

    On Monday, Sidhu had met Sushma Swaraj

    Earlier, on Monday, Sidhu had met External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj for a meeting to discuss his hug.

    Subsequently, Union minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal had claimed that Swaraj had "reprimanded" Sidhu for "messing up" in Pakistan.

    However, Sidhu painted a different picture, saying that he and Swaraj discussed sending a formal request to Pakistan about opening up the Kartarpur Sahib corridor between the nations.

    Controversy

    Backstory: Sidhu's controversial visit to Pakistan

    Here's the back story.

    During his visit to newly-elected Pakistan PM Imran Khan's oath taking ceremony, Sidhu had hugged General Qamar Javed Bajwa.

    Things took a turn for the worse when he was seen sitting next to Pakistan-occupied Kashmir's (PoK) President, Masood Khan.

    The BJP called Sidhu's actions "shameful", and even his own boss, Punjab CM Amarinder Singh expressed his anger at his actions.

    Justification

    Backstory: Sidhu tried justifying his hug

    However, on his return to India, he justified his actions, saying that General Bajwa, a Jat like himself, "was very warm" and "wanted peace".

    Additionally, Sidhu said that Bajwa had promised to open the Dera Baba Nanak (Kartarpur) corridor on Guru Nanak's 550th birth anniversary.

    "When someone takes the name of Baba Nanak, then he has offered you everything," Sidhu said, explaining his actions.

    Facebook
    Whatsapp
    Twitter
    Linkedin
    Related News
    Latest
    Punjab
    Pakistan Army
    Nirmala Sitharaman
    Navjot Singh Sidhu

    Latest

    Netflix brings 'Here Comes Flood': All about Robert Pattinson's next Christopher Nolan
    Chelsea secure crucial win against Manchester United: Key stats Manchester United
    Aston Villa get Champions League boost with win over Tottenham Aston Villa
    TV side roles to film darling: Mrunal's journey to stardomĀ  Bollywood

    Punjab

    Pakistan: Girl refuses marriage proposal, man shoots her dead Pakistan News
    Punjabi youths chasing American dreams find themselves in US jails Punjab Police
    Missing Delhi boy reunites with family after six years Crime Branch
    Punjab former finance minister Surinder Singla dies at 78 All India Institute Of Medical Sciences (AIIMS)

    Pakistan Army

    12-year-old from PoK nabbed near LoC in J&K Jammu And Kashmir
    Nawaz Sharif at mercy of Pakistan army Pakistan News
    Pakistani media told to not broadcast unverifiable news about Army Pakistan News
    Kulbhushan Jadhav files second mercy petition with Pakistan Army Chief India

    Nirmala Sitharaman

    Srinagar encounter: Operation ends with death of two terrorists Jammu And Kashmir
    Former Cabinet secretary TSR Subramanian passes away, he was 79 India
    Defense Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to visit China in April China
    Chennai airport on high alert after bomb threat call Tamil Nadu

    Navjot Singh Sidhu

    Praveen Kumar joins Samajwadi Party ahead of UP elections Uttar Pradesh
    Sidhu can continue with TV show: States Punjab Advocate General Punjab
    "New" Punjab Assembly: Capt. Amarinder Singh and MLAs take oath Punjab
    Kapil to make a comeback on TV with 'Oye Firangi' Sunil Grover
    Indian Premier League (IPL) Celebrity Hollywood Bollywood UEFA Champions League Tennis Football Smartphones Cryptocurrency Upcoming Movies Premier League Cricket News Latest automobiles Latest Cars Upcoming Cars Latest Bikes Upcoming Tablets
    About Us Privacy Policy Terms & Conditions Contact Us Ethical Conduct Grievance Redressal News News Archive Topics Archive Download DevBytes Find Cricket Statistics
    Follow us on
    Facebook Twitter Linkedin
    All rights reserved © NewsBytes 2025