Khalistan leader’s photos with Sidhu, Longowal spark storm
Amarinder dismisses Gopal Chawla as an ISI tout; SAD evasive on his photo with SGPC chief
In a group photo, PM was clicked with Nirav Modi and Rahul made it a big issue. What he has to say now on Sidhu’s photo with Chawla? MANJINDER SINGH SIRSA, Delhi BJP legislator
CHANDIGARH:A day after he stole the show at the groundbreaking ceremony of Kartarpur corridor, Punjab local bodies minister Navjot Singh Sidhu on Thursday was in the line of fire after his photograph with Khalistan supporter Gopal Singh Chawla surfaced on social media.
The photograph in which Chawla, who has a soft corner for banned Lashkar-e-Taiba chief Hafiz Sayeed, was standing next to Sidhu has led to a war of words in Punjab with the minister coming under fire from his rivals. Chawla, who is also general secretary of Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara management committee (PSGPC) and a vocal supporter of Khalistan, posted the photograph on his Twitter account.
Though Sidhu feigned ignorance saying he did not know Chawla, Punjab chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh, who had declined Pakistan’s invitation to attend the ceremony over Pak-sponsored terrorism in India, dismissed Chawla as an ISI tout, bracketing him with Gurpatwant Singh Pannu, a prominent face of the United States-based pro-Khalistan advocacy group ‘Sikhs for Justice”.
“They will say what Pakistan’s ISI tells them to,” Amarinder told a new channel after the row over Sidhu’s photograph with Chawla broke out.
Slamming Sidhu, Akali Dal chief Sukhbir Badal said, “Recently, a grenade attack took place in Amritsar, which is Sidhu’s home district, and it was linked to Chawla. During the Kartarpur event, Sidhu met Chawla. Sidhu should make it clear what is his priority — India or something else.”
However, Akalis were left red-faced when Chawla posted another photo in which he is seen standing alongside Shiromani Gurdwara parbandhak committee (SGPC) chief Gobind Singh Longowal. Sukhbir evaded the media queries on this.
Chawla told Hindustan Times over phone that he met many Indian leaders, including Sidhu, Longowal and Union minister for food processing industries Harsimrat Kaur Badal, at the event. The controversial campaigner for a separate Sikh nation in Indian Punjab, Chalwa (38) practises homeopathy in Nanakana Sahib and is from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Though he refuses a personal affinity with Hafiz Sayeed, but said he has a soft corner for him like all other Pakistanis for doing works of philanthropy.
He became general secretary of PSGPC in 2014, is opposed to the Akalis but shares proximity with former DSGMC president Paramjit Singh Sarna. “I support Khalistan,” he said while talking to HT. He used to travel to India till 2004, but was not given visa after that due to his proximity with Hafiz Sayeed.