After ‘Imran prem’ backfires,’ Navjot Singh Sidhu says terror needs to end

New Delhi, Feb 18: After backlash, Politician and television personality Navjot Singh Sidhu, who will reportedly be replaced on The Kapil Sharma Show, on Monday said that the terror needs to end. However, he still refused to condemn Pakistan and its PM Imran Khan.

Speaking to ANI, Sidhu said,''I am firm on my stand. Terrorism will not be tolerated. People who are responsible should be punished harshly that it acts as a deterrence for generations to come.''

Raking up Kandahar incident, Sidhu asked'' I want to ask who released JeM chief Masood Azhar involved in 1999 Kandahar incident? Who's responsibility is it? Our fight is against them. Why should a soldier die? Why can't there be a permanent solution?.''

Meanwhile, the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) has demanded that Punjab's ruling Congress sack its minister Navjot Singh Sidhu for his remarks after the Pulwama terror attack that killed 44 soldiers. The SAD's demand came after heated exchanges between the two parties in the Punjab Assembly, which is sitting on its Budget Session.

"Navjot Singh Sidhu should be suspended from the Congress party for his comments on Pakistan. In fact, a case should be registered against those who make anti-national statements," said SAD leader and former Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal in Chandigarh, news agency ANI reported.

Navjot Singh Sidhu received a severe backlash for his comment on Pulwama terror attack. The former cricketer-turned-politician's comment on Pulwama attack--Terrorism has no religion, no nation-- created a huge outrage on Twitter. Earlier, Twitterati was asking fans to boycott The Kapil Sharma Show and Sony TV to kick Sidhu out of the show.

Condemning the attack that killed 40 CRPF personnel, the 55-year-old politician had earlier said "terrorists do not have deen, mazhab (sect and religion)", adding that one couldn't blame an entire nation for such attacks. He also called for a "dialogue to find a permanent solution to end the bloodshed."

Sidhu, a cricketer-turned-television-host-turned-politician, has been at the receiving end of scathing criticism ever since he attended the swearing-in ceremony of Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan in August 2018, and hugging Pakistan Army chief Qamar Bajwa, even as the Indian government continued to refuse to hold formal talks with Pakistan over its support and financing of terrorist networks and groups.