New Delhi

Navjot Singh Sidhu has stirred controversy by terming Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan his "elder brother", as a result he is facing flaking from senior Congress party leaders.

Congress leader Rashid Alvi said he was "completely disagrees" with Sidhu's remarks. "No Indian would agree to such a statement. Imran Khan cannot be the brother of any citizen of India. How can we forget our wounds? That too such wounds that Pakistan cuts open on a regular basis? How can we even say it is our brother?" Alvi told.

He also reacted to Sidhu's call for opening the Punjab border for cross-border trade with Pakistan. "There is no question of opening borders in such a situation and talks cannot be held with Pakistan over this. Does he mean to say that we should open borders so that Pakistan Army can enter into the country easily? The way they are crossing the borders and sending terrorists. Does he want that we open the borders and welcome them?" he asked.

In a video shared by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Amit Malviya, Sidhu is seen being welcomed by a Pakistan official on behalf of Imran Khan during his visit to Darbar Sahib Gurdwara in Pakistan through the Kartarpur Corridor. "He (Imran Khan) is my elder brother. I am honoured," Sidhu is heard as saying. He also refers to "love" given by Imran Khan.

Amit Malviya attacked Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over Sidhu's remarks. "Rahul Gandhi's favourite Navjot Singh Sidhu calls Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan his "bada bhai". Last time he had hugged Gen Bajwa, Pakistan Army's Chief, heaped praises. Is it any surprise that the Gandhi siblings chose a Pakistan loving Sidhu over veteran Amarinder Singh?" Malviya said in a tweet.

Congress MP Manish Tewari expressed his strong reservations over Sidhu's remarks and said Imran Khan is "cat's paw of Pakistani deep state ISI-Military combine" that carries out cross-border terrorism against India. "Imran Khan may be anybody's elder brother but for India he is that cat's paw of Pak Deep State ISI-Military combine that drones arms and narcotics into Punjab and sends terrorists on a daily basis across LOC in Jammu and Kashmir. Have we forgotten martyrdom of our soldiers in Poonch so soon?" Tewari said.

.@ImranKhanPTI may be anybody’s elder brother but for India he is that cat’s paw of Pak Deep State ISI-Military combine that drones arms & narcotics into Punjab & sends terrorists on a daily basis across LOC in J&K. Have we forgotten martyrdom of our soldiers in Poonch so soon ?

— Manish Tewari (@ManishTewari) November 20, 2021

At a press conference later, Sidhu did not give a direct answer to a question about BJP's allegations concerning his purported remarks about Imran Khan. "Let BJP say whatever they want," he said. Sidhu went to Darbar Sahib Gurdwara through the Kartarpur Corridor which was reopened earlier this week ahead of Parkash Purab of Guru Nanak Dev.

He expressed happiness over its reopening and credited it to the efforts of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Pakistan PM Imran Khan. "With the efforts of PM Narendra Modi and Pakistan PM Imran Khan, this has been made possible," Sidhu said.

His visit came after a fresh tussle erupted in Punjab Congress following the exclusion of Sidhu's name from Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi-led delegation comprising state cabinet ministers that visited the Kartarpur Sahib on Thursday. The Kartarpur Corridor links Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Pakistan, the final resting place of Sikhism founder Guru Nanak Dev, to Dera Baba Nanak shrine in Gurdaspur district.

The corridor, which was opened in 2019, was closed in wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Sidhu had attended oath-taking ceremony of Imran Khan in 2018 and his hugging General Bajwa had created a major controversy.