Posters of Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan along with former Punjab minister Navjot Singh Sidhu in Amritsar and an official video released by Pakistan government exhibiting images of slain Khalistan ideologue Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale and others have courted controversy.
The video song released by Pakistan ahead of the inauguration of the historic Kartarpur Sahib corridor link on November 9 exhibits images of separatist leaders killed in Operation Bluestar in 1984 in the backdrop of the ‘2020 Referendum’ that is intended towards a separatist agenda in Punjab.
It also has a picture of Sidhu in the very beginning. It shows Sikh pilgrims visiting Sikh shrines in Pakistan.
Besides Bhindranwale, Maj Gen Shabeg Singh and Amrik Singh Khalsa also appear on one side.
These three separatists, who were holed inside the Golden temple, were gunned down by the military after the operation was launched to flush out militants from the sacred shrine.
In the holy city of Amritsar, giant posters showcasing Imran Khan and his friend Navjot Sidhu were put up ahead of the corridor's inauguration.
However, these were removed on Wednesday.
Sidhu had developed strained relations with Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh.
His cabinet portfolio was changed, rather downsized, after which Sidhu quit his Cabinet berth.
Khan has sent a formal invite to the former cricketer who is likely to visit Pakistan for the corridor's inauguration.
Sidhu has formally sought permission from the external affairs ministry to travel to Pakistan.
Amid some reports of infiltration from across the border into Punjab, Amarinder has been cautioning against Pakistan’s attempt to use the corridor link to revive militancy in the border state and offer a platform to broadcast ‘Referendum 2020.’
Union minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal, who was part of the delegation that visited Pakistan during the groundbreaking ceremony last November, also appears in the video.
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