Indians, including members of the Sikh community, were outraged over the statement on the Kartarpur corridor by Pakistan’s railway minister Sheikh Rashid on Saturday (30 November).
Rashid said the historic Kartarpur corridor was the brainchild of Pakistan Army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa and it will hurt India forever. The statement contradicted an earlier one by the Pakistani government asserting Kartarpur to be the initiative of Prime Minister Imran Khan.
The statement was soon hit by a number of angry responses.
State Chief of Punjab Amarinder Singh said that Rashid's comment has exposed their nefarious intentions and warned that "any misadventure will be met with retaliation of the kind they won’t survive".
As a Sikh, I am happy at the opening of the #KartarpurCorridor. However, Pak Minister’s disclosure that #KartarpurCorridor is the brainchild of @AsimBajwaISPR has exposed their nefarious intentions. Any misadventure will be met with retaliation of the kind they won’t survive. pic.twitter.com/tCs4S9SCtV
— Capt.Amarinder Singh (@capt_amarinder) December 1, 2019
Manjinder Singh Sirsa, a politician and chief of the Delhi-based Sikh Shrine organisation, strongly condemned Pakistan in a series of tweets for “exploiting the holiest land Sri Kartarpur Sahib & Sikh sentiments” and said that “Sikhs have been backstabbed by Pak”.
God forbid this should ever be true!
— Manjinder S Sirsa (@mssirsa) December 1, 2019
This statement of @ShkhRasheed means that Sikhs have been backstabbed by Pak, once again
And this time we won’t forgive our neighbours for exploiting the holiest land Sri Kartarpur Sahib & Sikh sentiments@aajtak @ANI @ABPNews @thetribunechd pic.twitter.com/sPhBAskHpZ
I urge PM @ImranKhanPTI to issue a statement clarifying the intention of @ShkhRasheed words
— Manjinder S Sirsa (@mssirsa) December 1, 2019
And if Rashid’s statement is just a brag, PM Imran Khan should take strict action against his motormouth Minister for hurting Sikh faith with his insensitivity@TimesNow @ANI @republic https://t.co/R6bncKDtri
Others also echoed these sentiments and said Pakistan has been exposed by contradicting its earlier statement in which it claimed Kartarpur to be a good faith initiative by Imran Khan.
Pak Minister @ShkhRasheed says Kartarpur Corridor is a wound inflicted on India by Gen Bajwa...a wound that India will never forget.
— Major Gaurav Arya (Retd) (@majorgauravarya) November 30, 2019
Has Sheikh Rasheed been paid off by RAW? Why is he humiliating Pak Army & it’s Chief publicly?
Pak doesn’t need enemies. It has this pumpkin 👇 pic.twitter.com/PpIiIj3M8w
We All Knew it that the Kartarpur Corridor was a Trap Laid By The Pakistan Army Chief. Now The Pakistani Minister Sheikh Rasheed Ahmad Confirms it with His Own Mouth! https://t.co/M3H9wh0Hth @narendramodi @AmitShah @PMOIndia
— Brian Warren (@CbrianWarren) December 1, 2019
Gen Bajwa is in for a rude shock if mischief is on his mind.....Lions have tasted blood now.....we want Nankana Saab, Panja Saab, and many more right upto NWFP..... obviously corridor cannot be created till there....hence we may be tempted to take over the entire Pak.....
— kumaidan15 (@Jaswind83175034) November 30, 2019
Religious issues to the hands of Pakistanis & khalistanis backed by Pakistan. Until the end the world, they'll use it to incite sikh religious sentiments & portray India, the government as villains. That's how it works. India should not stop kartarpur. The government played well
— Raj (@Raj21724309) December 1, 2019
Claiming to have won the love of the Sikh community, Rashid further said, “Gen Bajwa strongly hit India by opening the corridor. Through this project, Pakistan has created a new environment of peace and won itself love of the Sikh community”.
The inauguration of the Kartarpur corridor on 9 November was in doubt after the two nations downgraded their diplomatic ties following New Delhi’s decision to revoke Jammu and Kashmir's special status and bifurcate it into two union territories on 5 August.
