External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj (Photo| S Senbagapandiyan.) 
India

Sushma Swaraj blasts Pakistan Minister Qureshi on 'googly' remarks on Kartarpur

Ms Swaraj maintained the remarks from Mr Qureshi only 'showed that you have no respect for Sikh sentiments. You only play googlies'.

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NEW DELHI: External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Saturday evening joined issue with her Pakistani counterpart Shah Mahmood Qureshi for his 'googly' remarks on Kartarpur Corridor engagement between two sides and said such remarks has only exposed Islamabad's policy makers.

"Mr Foreign Minister of Pakistan - Your 'googly' remarks in a dramatic manner has exposed none but YOU," Ms Swaraj tweeted two days after Mr Qureshi told a function in Islamabad on Thursday that "Imran (Khan) delivered a 'googly' and India sent two ministers to Pakistan".

Ms Swaraj maintained the remarks from Mr Qureshi only "showed that you have no respect for Sikh sentiments. You only play googlies".

"Let me explain to you that we were not trapped by your 'googlies'," the External Affairs Minister said making it clear that two Sikh Ministers went to Kartarpur Sahib to "offer prayers in the Holy Gurudwara".

Senior Akali Dal leader and Union Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal, who went to Kartarpur on November 28 along with another minister Hardeep Singh Puri, said on Friday there is no space for 'one-upmanship' on the issue.

"Going to Sri Kartarpur Sahib was matter of faith for me. Indulging in one-upmanship on this sacred issue is uncalled for," Ms Badal wrote in a Tweet.

Ms Badal also tweeted: "No one was bowled over by any googly".

Ms Badal - herself a Sikh - contended that Prime Minister Modi and ministers "have only respected sentiments of Sikhs by authoring and participating in this noble initiative".

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