Lok Sabha elections 2019: ‘I cannot arrange visas for Pakistan, Sidhu can’, says Giriraj Singh

Central minister Giriraj Singh targeted the Congress through cricketer-turned-politician Navjot Singh Sidhu, saying the latter could arrange for visa of all Pakistani sympathisers in India as he was a good friend of Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan.

Singh was reacting to a recent pro-Pakistan remark by National Conference candidate from Baramulla in Jammu and Kashmir, Mohammed Akbar Lone, who reportedly said that he would abuse those 10 times who abused Pakistan.

“Main Akbar Lone ji aur Akbar Lone ke sonch wale logon se kahna chahta hun ki ye 135 aur 140 crore desh ki janta Pakistan ko galiyan de, to aap 10-10 gaali do ge to bahut galiyan ho jayegi, tumhari umr thak jayegi, tumhari zubaan thak jayyegi. Issliye, Akbar Lone aur uss mansikta ke log, Imran ke dost aur Congress Rahul ji ke messiah Sidhu ji se sampark karein, wo seedha visa-weesa de ke pahuncha denge (“I would like to caution Akbar Lone and those subscribing to his views that if this country of 135-140 crore people were to abuse Pakistan once, Akbar Lone and his sympathisers will find their lifespan shortened and their tongues fatigued if they were to hurl 10 abuses in retaliation. These people can contact Rahul Gandhi’s messiah Navot Sinhu who can arrange their visas.),” Singh said.

Also read: Lok Sabha elections 2019: Giriraj Singh draws fire after sharing dais with JD (U) leader on bail

Singh, who is the BJP candidate from Begusarai, was responding to a question by HT that a section of the people believed that he behaved like a ‘passport officer’, ever willing to send people to Pakistan.

The Union minister of state for micro, small and medium enterprises said it was the country’s misfortune that it did not avenge the 26/11 terror attack in Mumbai. “Had a counteroffensive operation been launched then and terror crushed, we would not have had to resort to air strike to neutralise terror camps,” he said.

Singh, who was reportedly sulking after he was shifted to Begusarai from Nawada, acknowledged that he would garner votes in the constituency in the name of Prime Minister Narendra Modi instead of his personal capacity.

“Where is the doubt?” he asked this reporter. “It is 200% true. It’s Modi all the way… There is only one candidate in India, which is Modi and Nitish Kumar (Bihar chief minister) is our captain in Bihar,” he added.

He also denied rumours that Kumar had a role in his not getting a ticket from Nawada from where he had won in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.

Begusarai which votes on April 29 in the fourth phase of the seven-phase general elections will witness a triangular contest among Giriraj Singh, Tanveer Hasan of the RJD and former JNU students’ union leader and CPI candidate Kanhaiya Kumar.

On Monday, Singh had described his other two rivals ‘saanpnath’ and ‘naagnath’ (both snakes).

Kanhaiya did not rise to Singh’s bait and said, “We are fighting for different ideologies and I would like to keep it that way in these election.”