It was just a hug, and not a Rafale deal: Sidhu

Asserting that his hug to Pakistan's army chief has been blown out of proportion, Punjab minister Navjot Singh Sidhu targeted the BJP on Wednesday saying it was just a "jaffi" (hug) and "not a Rafale deal".

The cricketer-turned-politician's Congress party has been attacking the BJP-led government at the Centre over the Rafale fighter jet deal and alleged a scam worth several crore rupees in the matter.

After Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said the gesture was demoralising for soldiers in India, Sidhu told a group of journalists, "You start raking up this issue again. Sidhu has become such an important person that the defence minister makes a statement...It was just a 'jaffi' (hug)...It is not a conspiracy, 'jaffi' is not Rafale deal, 'jaffi' is not firing bullets at Gursikhs."