Hardeep Puri said one cannot generalize on the basis of "some misguided people". (File)
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," Mr Puri told ANI.
He said this while responding to remarks made by Ms Mufti.
Addressing a press meet, Ms Mufti had said, "Those in Delhi are using Jammu and Kashmir as a laboratory and are experimenting here. Leaders like Nehru and 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 BJP winning the Bhabanipur bypoll in West Bengal. "I'm confident that BJP will sweep in the by-poll," he said.
Mr 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 bypolls.
Mamata Banerjee was defeated by BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari in the Nandigram constituency in Assembly elections held earlier this year.
Following this, the Bhabanipur assembly seat was vacated by state Agriculture Minister Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay in May, making way for the Chief Minister to contest from the seat.
The Congress has decided not to field any candidate for the Bhabanipur bypoll.
The bypoll will be held on September 30 and results will be declared by October 3.