Hitting out at PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti over her "Sardars are Khalistani' remarks, Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Wednesday said that no Sikh should be called "anti-national or Khalistani".
"No Sardar (Sikh) should be called anti-national or Khalistani. You can't generalize on the basis of some misguided people," Puri told ANI.
He said this while responding to remarks made by Mufti today.
Addressing a press meet earlier today, Mufti said, "Those in Delhi are using Jammu and Kashmir as a laboratory and are experimenting here. Leaders like, Nehru, Vajpayee had a vision for Jammu and Kashmir but the Central government creates a divide between Hindu and Muslims. Sardars are now Khalistani, we are Pakistani, only BJP is Hindustani..."
"...Delimitation exercise is being done haphazardly. They are only changing names (naming schools after martyrs) but children will not get employment by changing names. They (Centre) talk about Taliban, Afghanistan but not about farmers, unemployment...," she said.
The Union Minister also expressed confidence in winning the Bhabanipur by-poll. "I'm confident that BJP will sweep in the by-poll," he said.
Puri on Wednesday undertook a door-to-door campaign for the party's candidate Priyanka Tibrewal, who is pitted against West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in Bhabanipur by-polls.
Mamata Banerjee was defeated by BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari in the Nandigram assembly constituency in Assembly elections held earlier this year.
Following this, the Bhabanipur assembly seat was vacated by West Bengal Agriculture Minister Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay in May, making way for the West Bengal Chief Minister to contest from the seat.
Congress has decided not to field any candidate for the Bhabanipur bypoll.
Bhabanipur bypoll will be held on September 30 and results will be declared by October 3.
( With inputs from ANI )
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