Sidhu had 'no constitutional right' to hold talks with Pak on Kartarpur: Badal

SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal today said Punjab minister Navjot Singh Sidhu had "no constitutional right" to hold talks with Pakistan on the opening of the corridor to Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib.

Sidhu had attended the oath-taking ceremony of Imran Khan as Pakistan's Prime Minister on August 18 and declared that the country may allow Sikh pilgrims from India direct access to the historic Gurdwara.

However, the Shriomani Akali Dal (SAD) president slammed the cricketer turned politician for his statement and alleged that it was a ploy to divert the attention from his controversial hug to Pakistan army chief Qamar Bajwa.

"Sidhu has no constitutional right to hold talks on the issue of special passage from Indian side to Pakistan to have direct access for Sikh Shrine located at Kartarpur," said Badal.

He (Sidhu) was never appointed by the government of India to hold talks with Pakistan on this issue, said the leader who was in the city along with his wife Harsimrat Kaur Badal to pay obeisance at the Golden Temple.

Badal said when the SAD government was in power, it had raised the issue of opening of the Gurdwara corridor with the Centre time and again.

"But there was no response from Pakistan," he said.