Manish Tewari: Navjot Sidhu has asked that if the Karachi border is open, why they cannot open the Attari border for business. Punjab is scheduled to go to the Assembly polls in 2022

Ludhiana: Congress MP Manish Tewari on Sunday hit out at Punjab Congress Chief Navjot Singh Sidhu over his statement on trade with Pakistan and said that it is "useless and futile" to hold any trade-related talks with Pakistan until the neighbouring country stops its anti-India activities.

Speaking to ANI, the Lok Sabha MP from Sri Anandpur Sahib said, "Until Pakistan stops sending terrorists to India and dropping drugs and weapons in our areas via drones, it is useless and futile to hold any trade-related talks with Pakistan."

While speaking to the media here in Amritsar, Mr Sidhu had said, "If our friendship is increased with Pakistan then our business will also be increased. I admire our former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's scheme when he started Aman Eman Bus Sewa from India to Pakistan."

The cricketer-turned-politician further asked that if the Karachi border is open, why they cannot open the Attari border for business.

Responding to the possible alliance of BJP's with Captain Amarinder Singh's Punjab Lok Congress, Mr Tewari said, "Captain has been a Congress leader for 20 years and has been the Chief Minister of Punjab for 9 and half years. Of course, the alliance will impact the politics in the State."

Captain Amarinder Singh, last month, launched his new political party after quitting Congress to fight the forthcoming Assembly polls in the State and is hopeful of a tie-up with BJP if the ongoing protest by farmer unions against three farm laws is resolved "in farmers' interest".

Punjab is scheduled to go to the Assembly polls in 2022.

In the 2017 Punjab Assembly polls, Congress won an absolute majority in the state by winning 77 seats and ousted the SAD-BJP government after 10 years.

Aam Aadmi Party had emerged as the second-largest party winning 20 seats in 117-member Punjab Legislative Assembly. The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) could only manage to win 15 seats while the BJP secured 3 seats.