Chief Minister mentioned, it is unlucky that SAD is “losing” its time with its “baseless fees” (File)
Chandigarh:
Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Thursday tersely advised SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal to open his eyes to the secessionist risk of anti-Indian forces as an alternative of indulging in “political theatrics” over the alleged misuse of anti-terror regulation UAPA.
The chief minister made the slicing retort days after Badal accused the state police of misusing the anti-terror regulation and arresting Sikh youth “indiscriminately” for “minor misdemeanours”.
The chief minister hit again at SAD chief whereas welcoming the UK’s rejection, after Canada, of the pro-Khalistan outfit Sikhs for Justice’s “Referendum 2020”, with a categorical assertion that “it’s not concerned in any means on this unofficial and non-binding referendum…and considers Indian Punjab as a part of India.”
Welcoming the UK’s assertion, the CM expressed shock that Badal continues to show a “blind eye” to the risk posed by Pakistan-backed SFJ, and different terrorist and radical forces working to destabilise India, notably Punjab.
“Cannot he (Badal) see that the arrests underneath the UAPA which he’s opposing are a part of the state authorities’s technique to fight this risk?” Mr Singh requested.
The CM mentioned it was unlucky that as an alternative of enjoying the position of a constructive opposition within the state, the SAD was “losing” its time with its “baseless fees” and feedback.
He reminded the SAD chief of his earlier supply to look into any case of misuse of the Illegal Actions (Prevention) Act and wrongful arrest underneath the identical if Badal brings any such incident to his discover.
“Why do not you ship me the checklist of instances which you declare the police has registered wrongfully?” he requested Sukhbir, whereas additionally in search of a listing of the names of these arrested underneath the UAPA throughout the SAD-BJP rule.
He reminded the SAD president that the Badal authorities had registered greater than 60 instances underneath UAPA throughout their time period.
Apparently, of the 225 individuals arrested in these instances, 120 had been both acquitted or discharged.
“Mustn’t a lot of acquittals/discharges be construed to imply you had utilized the Act indiscriminately?” Mr Singh requested Sukhbir, questioning the Shiromani Akali Dal chief’s alleged motives behind giving a communal twist to a few of the current arrests made by the Punjab Police underneath the UAPA.
If the Akalis believed the UAPA to be anti-people and divisive, then Sukhbir, as deputy CM and residential minister within the erstwhile SAD-BJP authorities, mustn’t have utilized it in so many instances whereas in energy, mentioned the CM in a press release right here.
The Congress, which was then within the Opposition, had assumed that the UAPA was getting used to maintain the fear in test within the state, he added.
Taking a dig at Sukhbir’s remarks on the difficulty, wherein he had mentioned “we can’t enable anybody to disturb the sentiment of fraternity, particularly amongst Hindus and Sikhs”, the Chief Minister mentioned it was the SAD chief who was attempting to create a “divide” between communities along with his “mindless” assault on the state authorities’s makes an attempt to test the anti-Punjab forces from succeeding of their game-plan.
“Why else is Sukhbir hell-bent on inciting Punjab’s peace-loving individuals towards the state police, which had been efficiently battling the SFJ and ISI-sponsored terrorists for the previous greater than three years,” requested the Chief Minister.
(Aside from the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV workers and is revealed from a syndicated feed.)
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