Swamy demands Sidhu's arrest for allegedly meeting pro-Khalistani leader in Pak
New Delhi, Nov 30: Amid raging controversy over a photo of Navjot Singh Sidhu with pro-Khalistan leader Gopal Chawla, BJP leader Subramanian Swamy has demanded that the Punjab Minister be arrested under the National Security Act.
Sidhu landed in a fresh controversy after Gopal Singh Chawla posted a photograph of himself with the Congress leader on Facebook. The photo was taken on the sidelines of the Kartarpur corridor groundbreaking ceremony which Sidhu had attended. Sidhu, in his defence, said that many people had taken photos with him and that he did not know all of them.
Khalistan-Pak link out in open again: Chawla's presence at Kartarpur says it all
"Then you say that I've nothing to do with Khalistan and condemn it. But he should be investigated by NIA(National Investigation Agency) and arrested under National Security Act," Swamy was quoted as saying by ANI.
Chawla is known as one of the main propagators of the Sikh movement seeking a separate homeland for the community. Sidhu's photograph with Chawla went viral early on Thursday morning, with people calling him out for having met a terrorist.
Sidhu Thursday outright denied recognising the pro-Khalistan separatist leader who was allegedly seen attending the Kartarpur Sahib stone laying foundation ceremony. Reacting to questions on him being seen in pictures with the Khalistani leader, Sidhu told ANI, "There were probably 5-10,000 pictures taken of and with me there(in Pakistan), I don't know who is Gopal Chawla."
I don't know who is Gopal Chawla: Navjot Sidhu on photo with Khalistani leader
The Akali Dal immediately attacked Sidhu in a scathing remark asking whether 'India is his priority or not'. SAD President Sukhbir Badal told PTI, "There was a link between Gopal Chawla and a terrorist attack that took place in Amritsar (on Nirankari Bhavan), which is his (Sidhu's) constituency. If he shakes hands with him or do something with him, then Sidhu has to answer in order to clear whether country is his priority or something else."