Adnan Sami was awarded the Padma Shri, India's fourth-highest civilian honour.
Highlights
- Adnan Sami among 118 people awarded Padma Shri this year
- Jaiveer Shergill accused Pak-born singer of sycophancy
- Ugly spat between the two on Twitter follows
Singer-musician Adnan Sami on Monday lashed out at Congress spokesperson Jaiveer Shergill for his scathing remarks about being awarded the Padma Shri, India's fourth-highest civilian honour. Accusing Adnan Sami of "chamchagiri" (sycophancy), Mr Shergill on Sunday had attacked the BJP government at the centre for awarding the Padma Shri to the Pakistan-born singer.
Mr Shergill had asked why Adnan Sami, the son of a Pakistan Air Force pilot, was conferred the Padma award while Mohmmad Sannaullah, a Kargil War veteran, was declared a foreigner through the National Register of Citizens or NRC for Assam.
On Monday, the Congress leader responded to Mr Sami's tweet.
Adnan Sami responded:
Mr Sami was one of the 118 people whose names were announced on Saturday for the Padma Shri awards, with the Ministry of Home Affairs list showing his home state as Maharashtra.
Mr Sami, born in London to a Pakistani Air force veteran, applied for Indian citizenship in 2015 and became a citizen of the country in January 2016.
Hitting out at the centre, Jaiveer Shergill said, "Kargil War veteran and retired army officer Mohammad Sanaullah who fought for India declared ''foreigner'' after NRC, and Adnan Sami whose family fought against India honoured with Padma Shri -- This is the magic of NRC and government chamchagiri!"
"Is contribution to society or BJP government's praise new criteria? Is this New India?" Mr Shergill asked.
However, senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh congratulated Mr Sami on being honoured with the Padma Shri.
"Congratulations to all Padma Awardees. I am very happy that Adnan Sami famous singer and musician and Pakistani Muslim immigrant has also been given Padma Shri," Mr Singh tweeted, also attacking the government for the controversial Citizenship Amendment Act.