Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh yesterday ticked off his Cabinet colleague Navjot Singh Sidhu for hugging Pakistan army chief, even as the cricketer-turned-politician defended his action. Himself a former officer of the Indian Army's Sikh Regiment, Amarinder Singh disapproved of Sidhu's act at Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan's swearing-in ceremony, terming it as "wrong" and saying "he should understand" that Indian soldiers regularly fall prey to the Pak army's aggression.

"I think it was wrong for him (Sidhu) to have shown the affection he did for the Pakistan army chief, I am not in its favour... the fact is that the man (Sidhu) should understand that our soldiers are being killed everyday. My own regiment lost one major and two jawans a few months ago," said Amarinder Singh. The Punjab chief minister made the remarks in reply to reporters seeking his views on his Cabinet colleague hugging the Pak army chief, General Qamar Javed Bajwa at Khan's swearing-in ceremony at Islamabad yesterday. Sidhu, who returned from Pakistan today, was the only Indian, who attended Khan's swearing-in ceremony on an invitation from him.