Earlier in the day, Sidhu offered prayers at Kartarpur Sahib Gurdwara in Pakistan and stressed on "opening of a new friendship chapter" and trade between the two countries.
Party leader Manish Tewari scoffing at Punjab Congress chief Navjot Singh Sindhu for calling the Pakistan prime minister "bada bhai", said, "Imran Khan is the 'cat's paw' of the Pakistani state that 'doles in arms and narcotics' into Punjab and sends terrorists to Jammu and Kashmir".
Pilgrimage to the gurdwara was suspended in March last year because of Covid outbreak. The Kartarpur corridor was reopened on Tuesday for pilgrims. When Kartarpur Corridor Project Management Unit CEO Muhammad Latif welcomed the former Test cricketer at the zero point and extended best wishes to him and his delegation on behalf of the prime minister, Sidhu was effusive in his praise for his ex-cricket rival: "Imran Khan is my elder brother. I am greatly honored. He (Khan) gave us a lot of love."
Apparently reacting to Sidhu's gesture, Tewari tweeted, "@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," the MP from Anandpur Sahib said.
Sidhu was also effusive in his praise for the former Pakistan cricket captain. "I am thankful to PM (Imran Khan) for taking the first step and the other side (India) responded with two steps. I had already said that those favoring the 'laanga' (corridor) would have blessings and those opposing it had no value," he said
With PTI Inputs