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Punjab is in safe hands: Deputy CM Randhawa in veiled attack on Amarinder Singh
Former Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh has made repeated remarks raising concerns about the state's peace and security. He also held a meeting with NSA Ajit Doval and home minister Amit Shah regarding the same.
After former chief minister Amarinder Singh's repeated barbs over security concerns, Punjab's deputy chief minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa on Friday reassured everyone that the state is “in safe hands” and that there was no need to create panic.
Randhawa said that an "alarmist narrative" was being created by certain people with vested interests about peace and security in Punjab. Warning against such designs, he said that these statements only create an unnecessary sense of fear and insecurity among the people.
"Rest assured, Punjab is in safe hands," said Randhawa, dismissing concerns about threat from Pakistan amid a change of regime in the border state.
The political crisis in Punjab took a worrying turn when long standing chief minister Amarinder Singh resigned on September 18, accusing the Congress leadership of humiliating him.
Singh accused newly-inducted CM Charanjit Singh Channi's right hand Navjot Sidhu of having a close relationship with anti-India forces and said that “misgovernance in Punjab would give Pakistan an opportunity to create trouble in the state and in the country”. He had added that his meeting with National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval and Union Home Minister Amit Shah after resigning had centred around this issue.
Randhawa, who also holds the home portfolio, questioned why Singh's meetings in Delhi were not held earlier to raise state-related issues. "Whom are you trying to help or benefit with such alarmist hue and cry? Facing the challenge is one thing and creating panic and alarm is something else,” Randhawa told news agency PTI.
"And if Punjab is really in danger or trouble right now, then the seeds of that trouble must have been sown much before, certainly not within a week's time," he rebuked.
Earlier, Randhawa conducted a surprise check at the Punjab Police Headquarters in Sector-9 of Chandigarh had a brief interaction with reporters subsequently.
Terming Punjab as the sword arm of the country, the deputy chief minister further said: "It is a fact that Pakistan and its intelligence agencies are always trying to create trouble in India and Punjab being the border state is at a greater risk, at the same time, Punjabis are prepared to thwart any challenge with all their courage and might."
"There is nothing new about this threat as it existed before as well and it will continue in future also. What has changed in the last two weeks?" he asked.
