Former Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Saturday warned the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Punjab to wake up against the activities of forces which are inimical to Punjab and the nation.
Addressing a press conference after inducting former office bearers of the Punjab Lok Congress (PLC), which has since merged with the BJP, into the party, Captain Amarinder said law and order was the state subject. “It is the duty and responsibility of the state government to confront such forces and their activities,” he said.
Asked as to who he thought was behind all such activities, he said it was Pakistan, which had never stopped form indulging in mischief and seeking an opportunity to foment trouble in Punjab, adding that Pakistan was consistently using drones to send weapons and drugs into Punjab.
Earlier the range of drones was about seven kilometers and now these could go up to 42 km even, he said, adding if the state government did not take strict and firm action, the situation could deteriorate further, which Punjab cannot afford anymore after seeing a dark decade.
To a question about the precarious financial situation in the state and huge debt accumulated and whether the Centre can bail the state out, former Chief Minister Singh said that it was not possible.
“The Centre does not have that much money to waive off debt as everything is planned and budgeted,” he pointed out, while saying that the state will need to generate and mobilise its own resources.
Captain Amarinder, however, expressed grave scepticism over any such possibility as the government was being remote controlled by Raghav Chadha and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.
He said that this was unprecedented and unconstitutional that someone like Chadha would convene meetings of senior officers and then refer matters to Kejriwal instead of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann.
He said that with their induction, the BJP will get further strengthened. He announced that similar functions will be held separately in Malwa, Doaba and Majha regions to induct grassroots level workers into the BJP.