Can’t you see the threat Punjab is facing: CM to SAD chief

As the United Kingdom joined the ranks of major countries that have openly rejected the SFJ Referendum 2020, Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Thursday said that SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal should open his eyes to the secessionist threat of anti-Indian forces instead of indulging in political theatrics over the UAPA, which their own government had used extensively during their tenure.

After Canada, UK has now come out with a categorical statement that “it is not involved in any way in this unofficial and non-binding referendum…and considers Indian Punjab as part of India”. Welcoming UK’s statement, the CM said that Sukhbir continues to turn a blind eye to the threat posed by Pakistan-backed Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) and other terrorist and radical forces working to destabilise India, particularly Punjab.

He said it is unfortunate that instead of playing the role of constructive opposition in the state, the SAD was wasting its time with baseless charges and comments. He reminded the SAD chief of his earlier offer to look into any case UAPA’s misuse and wrongful arrest under the same if Sukhbir would bring it to his notice.

“Why don’t you send me the list of cases which you claim the police has registered wrongfully?,” Capt Amarinder asked Sukhbir while seeking names of those arrested under UAPA during the SAD-BJP rule. The CM said that if the Akalis believed UAPA to be anti-people and divisive, then Sukhbir, as Deputy CM and Home Minister in the erstwhile SAD-BJP government, should not have applied it in so many cases while in power. The Congress, which was in opposition then, had assumed that UAPA was being used to keep the terror in check in the state, he added. Taking a dig at Sukhbir’s latest remarks on the issue in which he had said, “We won’t allow anyone to disturb the sentiment of fraternity, especially among Hindus and Sikhs”, Capt Amarinder said it was the SAD chief who was trying to create a divide between communities with his senseless attack on the state government’s attempts to check the anti-Punjab forces from succeeding in their game-plan.