Captain Amarinder Singh, Chief Minister of Punjab, on Friday issued a direct warning to the Pakistan Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa. The CM said if General Bajwa tried to do anything in Punjab, he would get a befitting response.
“Let their general Bajwa know. I want to say openly. You are a Punjabi and we are also Punjabi. You dare to try anything in Punjab we will set you right,” he warned Bajwa.
“They should understand that they cannot play any game in 2019,” the Punjab chief minister said referring to ”Referendum 2020”, a campaign started by separatist and pro-Khalistan elements from other countries.
Singh, while addressing the House, became emotional. He said, “This is becoming too much and if we do not act they may again resort to such misadventure. The time has come for the Centre to understand their (Pakistan”s) designs and give them a befitting response.
“I hear (Pakistan) prime minister saying he wants to start a Guru Nanak Dev University and perform sewa at Gurdwara sahib. And his protege and the ISI are trying to foment trouble,” added Singh while accusing Pakistan of playing a double game.
“What is the double game being played at their national level, earning Sikhs sympathies by saying these things and on the other hand killing people in the country,” said Singh, adding, “Among those killed in terror attack were four sewaks of Guru Nanak Dev.”
“I have said many a times that if you (Pakistan) want to shake hands with India, which their PM says every day, then why you don’t stop all these attacks,” he asked.
Singh also announced a compensation of Rs 12 lakh and a job to the next of kin of the martyrs from the state of Punjab.
“Even though we can never compensate the loss of these brave sons of Punjab, my government has announced a compensation of Rs 12 lakh and a job to next of kin of the martyrs belonging to Punjab. I stand by the families of these bravehearts who made the supreme sacrifice in Pulwama,” said Singh.
In an ostensible reference to the Khalistan movement which was at its peak during the early 1980s, he said, “Pakistan must not think it can try similar schemes in Punjab. It is not the Punjab of the 80s and our police force is now much bigger and better equipped. Any attempt to disrupt the hard-earned peace of Punjab will get a resounding response.”