New Delhi, Dec 1(DC): Punjab cabinet minister and Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu who has been facing backlash for his recent visit to Pakistan to attend the groundbreaking ceremony of Kartarpur Sahib corridor, clarified that he didn't visit the neighbouring state on the instructions of his party president Rahul Gandhi.
The clarification came hours after Sidhu claimed that Congress president Rahul Gandhi had told him to visit Pakistan for launch of Kartarpur corridor.
Sidhu on Friday took to Twitter to state that Rahul Gandhi had “never asked” him to go to Pakistan and he had visited the neighbouring country on the “personal invite” of Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan.
"Get your facts right before you distort them, Rahul Gandhi Ji never asked me to go to Pakistan. The whole world knows I went on Prime Minister Imran Khan's personal invite," cricketer-turned-politician Navjot Singh Sidhu tweeted.
Navjot Singh Sidhu said he was "patted on the back" by senior Congress leaders including Shashi Tharoor, Randeep Surjewala and Harish Rawat.
Earlier on Friday, when Sidhu was asked about Chief Minister Amarinder Singh's disapproval of his Pakistan trip, he said: “Mere captain Rahul Gandhi hain, unhone toh bheja hai har jagah (My captain is Rahul Gandhi), he has sent me everywhere.”
Sidhu claimed that besides the central leadership of the party, at least “20” Congress leaders had asked him to go to Pakistan.
"At least 20 Congress leaders asked me to go. The central leadership of the party asked me to go. Punjab chief minister is like my father, I told him that I had already promised them (Pakistan) that I will go,” Sidhu had told news agency ANI.
Sidhu's decision to accept the invite from Pakistan had created a political controversy.
Punjab CM Captain Amarinder Singh declined Pakistan's invitation citing the country's role in the recent terror attack in Amritsar and Pathankot as well as killing of Indian soldiers and civilians in Jammu and Kashmir. The Punjab CM had said he asked Sidhu to reconsider his decision.