Navjot Singh Sidhu hits back at BJP over Pulwama comment row

New Delhi : Cricketer-turned-politician Navjot Singh Sidhu on Sunday hit out at the Bharatiya Janata Party by reminding it of the release of Jaish-eMohammad (JeM) chief Masood Azhar 20 years ago during the Kandahar standoff in 1999. 

“Those who are branding me as anti-national should tell the people as to who had handed him (Massod) over to Pakistan. What they (BJP) had been doing all these years to get at him”, he asked.

He said his statement had been distorted by people with vested interests. “Nationalism is the highest religion and I stand by my nation”, he said. “I echo the sentiments of my country. India’s voice is my voice and I strongly stand by my party’s stand”, he added.

Reiterating his stand, he said, “Innocent people, women, children, elders should not be punished for the acts of a handful of rogue elements. This is against the teachings of the Sikh gurus and humanitarian law. At the same time, I call for exemplary punishment to the perpetrators of the attack”.

“If you have the guts, bring the guilty back and hang him publically,” he said. “India’s peace and development should not suffer a set back because of a handful of terrorists,” he added.

Reacting over Pulwama attack, Navjot Singh Sidhu had said that an entire nation cannot be punished for wrongdoings by a handful of people.