Sidhu on personal, not official visit: Amarinder

CHANDIGARH: The sharp divide between Punjab chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh and his cabinet minister Navjot Singh Sidhu over attending Wednesday’s ground-breaking ceremony for Kartarpur corridor in Pakistan became more apparent on Tuesday when the CM revealed that he had asked the former cricketer to reconsider his decision.

Both Sidhu and Amarinder had been invited to attend the ground-breaking event at Narowal by Pakistan foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi. Amarinder was quick to decline the invitation citing continued terrorist attacks in Punjab and killings of Indian soldiers by Pakistan armed forces.

However, Sidhu, who went to Pakistan on Tuesday, had said he would attend the event if the Centre gave him the permission. He had also told TOI on Sunday: “I have got permission from Captain Amarinder Singh to visit Pakistan for the November 28 event.”

Highlighting the growing differences with his minister, Amarinder said he had acceded to Sidhu’s request to travel to Pakistan since he did not believe in stopping anyone from undertaking a personal visit. “Sidhu told me he had already committed himself to going there. When I informed him of the stand I had taken on the issue, he said it was his personal visit, but he would get back to me. But I did not hear from him,” the CM said.

Amarinder added that Sidhu had later sent him a request for going and he had approved it. He also made it clear that Sidhu was on a personal trip and not an official visit.

The CM said there was no apprehension that the corridor would be used by terrorists to infiltrate into India.