A day after 40 CRPF jawans were martyred when explosive-laden SUV rammed into one of the buses out of a 70-vehicle CRPF convoy in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pulwama district, Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu said: “Terrorism has no religion, no nation”. Sidhu also said only talks can resolve India’s differences with Pakistan.

Sidhu’s comment is in sharp contrast to what his party chief Rahul Gandhi had to say on Pulwama attack earlier in the day.

Rahul Gandhi on Friday condemned the dastardly attack in Pulwama and said the entire Opposition stands with the government and the security forces.

An emotional Rahul Gandhi said: “This is a time of mourning, sadness, and respect. We are fully supporting the govt of India and our security forces. We are not going to get into any other conversation apart from this.”

Attacking Sidhu for he what he deemed an “inappropriate comment”, retired Major General GD Bakshi said Sidhu has not faced what the CRPF has, what men in uniform routinely do in conflict areas. Bakshi called Sidhu’s comment “shameful”.

Sidhu had courted controversy earlier for visiting Pakistan for Imran Khan’s oath-taking ceremony and his controversial hug with Pakistan Army General Qamar Javed Bajwa.

Not just rival BJP, Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh had categorically said he was against the gesture Sidhu showed to the Pakistan Army Chief.

Once again, when the entire nation is mourning the loss of lives in Pulwama, Navjot Singh Sidhu’s comments have generated a heated debate.