E-Paper
Will protect integrity of Punjab, Sukhbir’s threats no deterrent: CM
Amarinder added there was no question of falsely implicating anyone, urging the SAD chief to refrain from playing into the hands of the separatists
Chandigarh A day after Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president cautioned Punjab chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh against indiscriminate use of Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) by Punjab Police, the CM said he would do everything under the law, as needed, to protect the security and integrity of Punjab and of the nation.
“The SAD president’s threats cannot deter me from ensuring the safety of my people. If there are any specific instances of wrongful arrest or registration of case by Punjab Police under UAPA, as Sukhbir claimed, he should send a list of the same, instead of making unnecessary noise,” the CM added.
The CM said there was no question of falsely implicating anyone, urging the SAD chief to refrain from playing into the hands of the separatists by trying to incite the state’s youth, especially the Sikhs, against the police force.
Amarinder added that the UAPA had been in existence for long and under the SAD-BJP regime, more than 60 cases under UAPA had been registered in Punjab, of which 19 were in 2010 alone and 12 in 2017 and of the 225 individuals arrested in these cases, 120 were acquitted or discharged, indicating that indiscriminate application of UAPA had in fact been done by the Akalis during their tenure.
“It is shocking that Sukhbir, who is leading a party that claimed to be the custodians of Sikhism, is in fact protesting against the Punjab Police’s fight against separatist and terrorist activities,” he added.
“There are forces bent on destabilising the nation by fomenting trouble and promoting the separatist ideology, such as the Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) and its Khalistani agenda. Sukhbir should know that SFJ has been declared as an unlawful organisation and its chief Gurpatwant Pannu had been designated a terrorist by the Indian government, and, as such, the police force of all states, including Punjab, were duty-bound to take all legal action to fight their attempts to subvert national security,” Amarinder added.
At a time when the countries were rejecting the SFJ’s pro-Khalistan agenda, Sukhbir was virtually supporting it, the CM added.
AMARINDER REPRODUCING
INDIRA’s NARRATIVE: SUKHBIR
Chandigarh SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal on Wednesday described CM Captain Amarinder Singh’s reaction on the issue of the misuse the UAPA as “an archival reproduction of the old Indira Gandhi narrative”.
“Every Sikh can recall how Indira Gandhi had used exactly these words to justify the rolling of tanks into the holiest of the holy Sikh shrine Harmander Sahib leading to the destruction of the sacred Shri Akal Takht Sahib... the Congress mind-set that led to the 15-year-long tragedy of Punjab remains the same?,” said Sukhbir.
Referring to Amarinder’s references to national security and integrity while defending use of UAPA, Badal said, “The brave and patriotic Sikh masses need no lessons in nationalism or patriotism from opportunistic Sikh Congress leaders. The only contribution of Congress leaders has been to paint every single member of this brave and patriotic community as anti-national. Amarinder has started singing the same tune again, and this is extremely dangerous.”
