While the former Indian cricketer who turned politician Navjot Singh Sidhu attended Imran Khan’s oath ceremony as Pakistan’s Prime Minister, Haryana Minister Anil Vij has slammed him and termed his action as “act of disloyalty”.
The former World Cup-winning (1992) Pakistan cricket team captain Imran Khan took the oath as Pakistan’s 22nd Prime Minister on Saturday morning at the President’s House (Aiwan-e-Sadr) in Islamabad.
In his international cricket career, Sidhu played a total of 11 matches (7 ODIs and 4 Tests) where Imran Khan played for the opponent team Pakistan. Despite playing for the rival teams, like the many Indian cricketers, Sidhu also has a good relationship with the former Pakistan World Cup-winning captain. Khan invited him for the oath ceremony which the former Indian cricketer accepted and also successfully attended with a special gift of ‘Kashmiri Shawl’.
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Reportedly, Imran Khan also invited former World Cup-winning Indian cricket team captain Kapil Dev (1983) and the legendary Indian batsman Sunil Gavaskar but both didn’t attend the ceremony.
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Meanwhile, on Thursday (August 16), the former Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee passed away at the age of 93-year-old. While the nation is still in deep sorrow for that loss, Haryana Minister Anil Vij has slammed Sidhu to join Imran Khan’s oath ceremony rather than joining Vajpayee’s last journey.
According to NDTV, Vij said, “The Union government has announced a seven-day national mourning following the death of former prime minister Vajpayee, but Sidhu preferred to join the swearing-in ceremony of Khan in Pakistan, ignoring the sentimental and grieved occasion of his country.
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“At a time when most of the leaders of the ruling, as well as opposition parties were present in Delhi to pay their tributes to Vajpayee, Mr Sidhu was “enjoying Khan’s celebration” in Islamabad.”
Vij has further requested to Punjab Chief Minister to take up the matter seriously and also to take a quick action against the former Indian cricketer.
