Adnan Sami hammers Congress' Jaiveer Shergill for 'Magic of govt chamchagiri' comment

The Congress on Sunday hit out at the Modi government over bestowing the Padma Shri on singer-musician Adnan Sami and asked why Kargil War veteran Mohmmad Sannaullah was declared a foreigner through the NRC for Assam, while the son of a Pakistan Air Force pilot has been conferred with one of India's highest civilian honours. Now, Sami has written directly at the Congress neta.

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.

Adnan Sami asks, 'What have I done to you but give music?', on Padma Shri politics

Shergill attacks Sami

Hitting out at the Centre, Congress spokesperson 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 'Yogdan' to society or BJP government 'gungan' (praise) new criteria? Is this New India? Shergill asked.

Adnan Sami opens up about his father Arshad Sami Khan & politics over Padma Shri honours

Sami responds to Shergill

While earlier Adnan Sami had tweeted a response to a netizen who had asked him a question along similar lines, that post has now been deleted. However, for Shergill's benefit, Sami has replied once again, and minced no words. Sami questioned him on how a son can be held accountable for the acts of his parents. He mocked Shergill and asked him if that is what they taught him at Berkley law school.

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.

While speaking to Republic TV's Editor-in-Chief Arnab Goswami over the criticism of his Padma Shri, Adnan Sami had responded by saying that his father had made individual and personal choices in life which are different from the ones he has made for himself. He also revealed that his father was out of the service before his birth and that he had never seen him in a uniform, let alone known anything about his life in the Air Force.

The singer went on to say that his father had been an honorable man for his services towards his country and had been completely on board with the singer's decision to become an Indian. He recalled the instance when he confronted his father about his decision and revealed that his father gave his blessings to give back the love and respect that was bestowed on him as a popular artist in India.

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(With PTI inputs)