<p class="title">The Shiv Sena lashed out on Monday at Punjab minister Navjot Singh Sidhu for visiting Pakistan and hugging its Army chief, dubbing it as "heights of shamelessness".</p>.<p class="bodytext">It also took a dig at the BJP, saying Sidhu was not labelled a traitor, even though people were termed "anti-national" for opposing demonetisation and criticising Prime Minister Narendra Modi.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The cricketer-turned-politician was among the special guests present on Saturday at Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan's oath taking ceremony.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The Shiv Sena claimed Sidhu's act was a "height of shamelessness" as he hugged the Pakistan Army chief who was supporting insurgency in Kashmir.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"Nobody called Sidhu a traitor despite his visit to Pakistan amid opposition and the situation (in Jammu and Kashmir), but there are some people who are easily labelled as anti-national for opposing note ban or criticising Modi," it said in an editorial in party mouthpiece 'Saamana'.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Earlier, Modi had hugged the then Pakistan prime minister Nawaz Sharif and it was called his "masterstroke", it said, adding, "then how can we criticise Sidhu alone".</p>.<p class="bodytext">Though Sidhu was now with the Congress, he had been with the BJP for a long time and "the BJP should introspect where exactly its 'sanskar' (teachings) fell short", it said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"The prime minister is known for taking strong steps, and he could have simply issued a similar ban against those who wished to visit Pakistan," the editorial said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Sidhu's "shameless" visit to Pakistan is not just a subject of the Congress, but is also a question of India's security and pride of its soldiers.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Cricket legends Sunil Gavaskar and Kapil Dev refused the invitation to attend Khan's swearing-in, but Sidhu went there "jumping like a frog and exposed his fake patriotism", the Uddhav Thackeray-led party claimed.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The Sena said if the Punjab minister had so much affection for Pakistan, he should contest election from there.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"He has already received an offer from a member of Parliament of the Pakistan-Tehreek-i-Insaaf (Khan's party) to contest election from there," the Sena claimed.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Lashing out at Imran Khan, the Sena said it was he who created an atmosphere of "dharmayudh" (holy war) during India-Pakistan cricket matches and delivered several venomous speeches against India.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The Sena claimed his elevation to the Pakistan's post post was going to increase India's "headache".</p>.<p class="bodytext">"Who is going to benefit from Imran's elevation? He is just a mask, it is the Pakistan Army that is going to be in power. Then (in that context), Sidhu hugging its Army chief is a crime," it said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The party wondered what action would Congress president Rahul Gandhi take against his party leader and claimed during Khan's swearing-in ceremony, it looked like Sindhu was not a guest, but host of the event.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Even if Sidhu had not gone there, the ceremony would have still taken place, it said. "His actions are weakening Rahul Gandhi's position," the Marathi daily said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"Had Sidhu been a true patriot, he would not have gone to Pakistan and certainly would not have hugged that country's army chief," it said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Congress leaders such as Shashi Tharoor and Mani Shankar Aiyar speak something irrationally and put Gandhi into trouble, and Sidhu did the same thing, the Sena said. </p>
<p class="title">The Shiv Sena lashed out on Monday at Punjab minister Navjot Singh Sidhu for visiting Pakistan and hugging its Army chief, dubbing it as "heights of shamelessness".</p>.<p class="bodytext">It also took a dig at the BJP, saying Sidhu was not labelled a traitor, even though people were termed "anti-national" for opposing demonetisation and criticising Prime Minister Narendra Modi.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The cricketer-turned-politician was among the special guests present on Saturday at Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan's oath taking ceremony.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The Shiv Sena claimed Sidhu's act was a "height of shamelessness" as he hugged the Pakistan Army chief who was supporting insurgency in Kashmir.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"Nobody called Sidhu a traitor despite his visit to Pakistan amid opposition and the situation (in Jammu and Kashmir), but there are some people who are easily labelled as anti-national for opposing note ban or criticising Modi," it said in an editorial in party mouthpiece 'Saamana'.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Earlier, Modi had hugged the then Pakistan prime minister Nawaz Sharif and it was called his "masterstroke", it said, adding, "then how can we criticise Sidhu alone".</p>.<p class="bodytext">Though Sidhu was now with the Congress, he had been with the BJP for a long time and "the BJP should introspect where exactly its 'sanskar' (teachings) fell short", it said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"The prime minister is known for taking strong steps, and he could have simply issued a similar ban against those who wished to visit Pakistan," the editorial said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Sidhu's "shameless" visit to Pakistan is not just a subject of the Congress, but is also a question of India's security and pride of its soldiers.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Cricket legends Sunil Gavaskar and Kapil Dev refused the invitation to attend Khan's swearing-in, but Sidhu went there "jumping like a frog and exposed his fake patriotism", the Uddhav Thackeray-led party claimed.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The Sena said if the Punjab minister had so much affection for Pakistan, he should contest election from there.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"He has already received an offer from a member of Parliament of the Pakistan-Tehreek-i-Insaaf (Khan's party) to contest election from there," the Sena claimed.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Lashing out at Imran Khan, the Sena said it was he who created an atmosphere of "dharmayudh" (holy war) during India-Pakistan cricket matches and delivered several venomous speeches against India.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The Sena claimed his elevation to the Pakistan's post post was going to increase India's "headache".</p>.<p class="bodytext">"Who is going to benefit from Imran's elevation? He is just a mask, it is the Pakistan Army that is going to be in power. Then (in that context), Sidhu hugging its Army chief is a crime," it said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The party wondered what action would Congress president Rahul Gandhi take against his party leader and claimed during Khan's swearing-in ceremony, it looked like Sindhu was not a guest, but host of the event.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Even if Sidhu had not gone there, the ceremony would have still taken place, it said. "His actions are weakening Rahul Gandhi's position," the Marathi daily said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"Had Sidhu been a true patriot, he would not have gone to Pakistan and certainly would not have hugged that country's army chief," it said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Congress leaders such as Shashi Tharoor and Mani Shankar Aiyar speak something irrationally and put Gandhi into trouble, and Sidhu did the same thing, the Sena said. </p>