The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday chided the opposition Congress party for its leader and Punjab minister Navjot Singh Sidhu's hug to Pakistan Army chief Qamar Javed Bajwa during Imran Khan's swearing-in ceremony recently. Speaking to reporters, BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra said, "General Bajwa is a person who is responsible for the butchering of number of Indians and his glorification is condemnable. For Congress, our Army Chief is 'sadak ke gunde' (roadside bully) and Pakistan Army Chief is 'sone de munde' (golden boy)."

Earlier in the day, Sidhu, a former cricketer, reiterated that his visit to attend cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan's swearing-in ceremony as Pakistan Prime Minister was "just a warm invitation from a friend." Sidhu also added that his Islamabad visit was a tribute to former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, saying that "Late Vajpayee ji had taken friendship bus to Lahore, invited Musharraf. Prime Minister Modi invited Nawaz Sharif to his oath-taking and went to Lahore unannounced."