Union Minister of Food Processing Industries Harsimrat Kaur Badal on Wednesday launched yet another attack against Congress leader and Punjab Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu, by calling him a traitor to the nation who backstabbed "brave jawans".
In a series of tweets addressing both Congress President Rahul Gandhi and Sidhu, Harsimrat wrote, "The man who can lie in name of Guru Nanak deserves the harshest condemnation! After Pak's MoFA statement declining any communication with India in Kartarpur Sahab corridor issue, what answer will Rahul Gandhi and Navjot Singh Sidhu give to Sikhs and to Guru Nanak? They must answer."
"Which cheap gimmicks would Sidhu resort to cover his disgraceful and traitorous behavior? It's official now that so far he had lied through his teeth about the proposal for Kartarpur Sahib corridor and deceive his nationality his community, his state, his religion and Guru Sahibaan," she tweeted.
Harsimrat further tweeted, "He is traitor to the Nation, backstabbed the brave jawans and made the mockery of Sikh religious sentiments. @RahulGandhi needs to answer who is ISI pawn? Him or Sidhu? This has been a soap opera of new lows in cheap politics by @sherryontopp."
Harsimrat's remarks came after Pakistan confirmed that there was no formal communication with India on opening the Kartarpur Sahib corridor.
The confirmation from Islamabad came a day after External Affairs Minister (EAM) Sushma Swaraj wrote a letter to Harsimrat saying that Pakistan has issued no official statement in connection with opening the Kartarpur route for Indian pilgrims.
In the letter, Swaraj had informed that over the last few years, Pakistani authorities have only allowed a limited number of Indian pilgrims to the Gurdwara and other shrines in Pakistan. She also assured that the "government remains seized of the matter and will continue to take up the matter with Pakistan."
The entire controversy started after Congress leader and Punjab Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu claimed that Pakistan will open the corridor to Kartarpur Sahib on the occasion of the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak next year.
The Kartarpur route along the India-Pakistan border is 3 kilometres away from Gurdaspur, Punjab. If opened, it will allow Sikh pilgrims a direct access to the historic Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur, Pakistan, where Guru Nanak died in 1539.