A Disturbed Punjab Suits Pakistan Policy: Amarinder
By Naveen Kapoor
Calling upon the government to be “on its toes” in view of attempts by Pakistan trying to infiltrate the borders and its sending weapons in increased numbers through drones since the beginning of agitation by farmers, Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh on Friday said that “a disturbed Punjab suits Pakistan’s policies”.
In an interview with ANI, the Chief Minister said he had been cautioning the Centre about the designs of Pakistan and it is also sending money and heroin.
He said Pakistan has sleeper cells which it can activate.
“The Government should be on its toes. I have been warning them for a long time that Pakistan is trying to infiltrate the borders. Their weapons are coming in. They have sleeper cells here that they can awaken anytime they want. A disturbed Punjab suits Pakistan’s policies,” he said.
He said that there has been an increase in weapons coming from Pakistan since October when the farmers began their agitation against the three farm laws.
The Chief Minister said he met the Union Home Minister Amit Shah in November after the farmers’ agitation moved to Delhi borders to convey his concerns about Pakistan’s attempts to cause disturbance.
“I went during to see the Home Minister when everyone started making big news about farmers’ struggle to discuss the issue that has taken place. Since the farmers’ struggle started in October, the number of weaponry that is coming to Punjab (from Pakistan) has increased. It is drones that are bringing it in. That was what was concerning me because those drones that bring weapons are meant for something. They are not sent as a present here. We may capture 30 drones, but there are 20-30 that may get past us, to their objectives,” Amarinder Singh said.
The Chief Minister said Pakistan and China are going to collude and 20 per cent of Indian Army soldiers belong to area where there has been concern among farmers about farm laws and their morale can’t allow their morale to go down.
“I have a hostile country on my western border. On the north of us, we have China. These two countries are going to collude. About 20 per cent of the Indian army belongs to this area and we can’t allow their morale to go down. I think we should be very careful in our choice of putting out news which should not create a situation where the morale of our troops goes down.”
Asked if he blames Pakistan for the violence that took place on December 26 in Delhi during the tractor march by farmers against the three farm laws, the Chief Minister said it is for the investigation agencies to find out.
“I don’t blame anyone. It is for the investigation agencies to find out. What I’m mentioning is when this movement started, why has there been a spurt in the drone delivery? Why weapons, money, and heroine is coming in? That coincided with the movement and that has got me wondering,” he said.
He said the farmers from Punjab may have taken lead in agitation but the new farm laws were affecting farmers all over the country.
“I think they (the Centre) did not understand the psyche of the Punjabis and Farmers. This is not a Punjabi movement. We may have taken a lead. We always seem to take a lead in various things, but it covers the farmer of our country. There are 70 per cent farmers in country. You think it is not affecting a farmer sitting in Kerala in Andhra Pradesh and in Tamil Nadu. He may not be here, but his heart is in Delhi,” he said. (ANI)
