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Chandigarh:
Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Thursday tersely informed SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal to open his eyes to the secessionist menace 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 chopping 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 is not involved in any way in this unofficial and non-binding referendum…and considers Indian Punjab as part of India.”
Welcoming the UK’s assertion, the CM expressed shock that Badal continues to show a “blind eye” to the menace posed by Pakistan-backed SFJ, and different terrorist and radical forces working to destabilise India, significantly Punjab.
“Can’t he (Badal) see that the arrests under the UAPA which he is opposing are part of the state government’s strategy to combat this threat?” Mr Singh requested.
The CM stated it was unlucky that as an alternative of enjoying the function of a constructive opposition within the state, the SAD was “wasting” its time with its “baseless charges” and feedback.
He reminded the SAD chief of his earlier provide to look into any case of misuse of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and wrongful arrest underneath the identical if Badal brings any such incident to his discover.
“Why don’t you send me the list of cases which you claim the police has registered wrongfully?” he requested Sukhbir, whereas additionally in search of a listing of the names of these arrested underneath the UAPA in the course of 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.
Interestingly, of the 225 individuals arrested in these instances, 120 had been both acquitted or discharged.
“Should not a large number of acquittals/discharges be construed to mean you had applied 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, stated 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 verify within the state, he added.
Taking a dig at Sukhbir’s remarks on the problem, by which he had stated “we won’t allow anyone to disturb the sentiment of fraternity, especially among Hindus and Sikhs”, the Chief Minister stated it was the SAD chief who was attempting to create a “divide” between communities along with his “senseless” assault on the state authorities’s makes an attempt to verify the anti-Punjab forces from succeeding of their game-plan.
“Why else is Sukhbir hell-bent on inciting Punjab’s peace-loving people against the state police, which had been successfully battling the SFJ and ISI-sponsored terrorists for the past more than three years,” requested the Chief Minister.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV employees and is revealed from a syndicated feed.)
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