Don’t know who Chawla is: Sidhu

CHANDIGARH: Finding himself in the centre of controversy following his picture with pro-Khalistani leader Gopal Singh Chawla in Pakistan, Punjab minister Navjot Singh Sidhu defended himself by insisting he did not know who Chawla was.

The former cricketer, back after attending the groundbreaking ceremony of the Pakistani section of the Kartarpur corridor, told reporters in Attari: “During the day-long function (at Kartarpur on Wednesday), I was captured in 5,000-10,000 photographs. I don’t know who was Gopal Chawla.”

ATTARI(AMRITSAR): A day after pro-Khalistani leader Gopal Singh Chawla posted his picture with Punjab local bodies minister Navjot Singh Sidhu on social media, the cricketer-turned-politician said he does not even know who is Chawla.

Sidhu said this on Thursday after he returned to India through Attari-Wagah border after attending the ground-breaking ceremony of the Kartarpur corridor in Pakistan. The minister got flak over the picture.

As soon as Sidhu entered India, mediapersons asked him about his picture with Chawla. The minister said, “During the day-long function (at Kartarpur), I was captured in 5,000 to 10,000 photographs. I don’t know who is Gopal Chawla?”

Chawla’s picture with Sidhu surfaced on social media, barely hours after the former was seen shaking hands with Pakistan army on the sidelines of the Kartarpur ceremony.

Chawla is an office-bearer of Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (PSGPC). He is also believed to be close to terrorist Hafiz Saeed, the mastermind behind the 26/11 terror attacks in Mumbai.