Eyeing UP polls, NDA creating war hysteria, says Amarinder

Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee president Capt Amarinder Singh on Sunday said that the BJP led NDA government in the center is creating unnecessary war hysteria and tension along Punjab border with an eye on upcoming Uttar Pradesh elections.

While appealing to the villagers living along the border areas not to leave, former Chief Minister of Punjab tweeted, “Will camp in Amritsar from October 4 in solidarity with those who are being displaced due to CM’s (Prakash Singh Badal) cowardice.”

He assured villagers living near International Border that there appeared no signs of war as on now that would necessitate their relocation or evacuation to safer areas.

 “Punjabis are known for valour, courage and bravery and they will better love to fight alongside their army than runaway which the BJP is trying to make them do and which they will never do”, former Chief Minister of Punjab Captain Singh asserted, while pointing out, “They have the courage and confidence to guard and protect others risking their own lives”.

Meanwhile, addressing a press conference along the sidelines of the ‘Halke vich Captain’ programme in Mansa, Captain Amarinder pointed out that there was no troop movement on either side of the border. “Our army is staying in peace time zones and our villages are being uprooted”, he said, while adding Punjabis were being made scapegoats for the UP elections, as BJP was unable to establish any foothold there so far.

Justifying his opposition to villagers’ evacuation, he said, there has been no movement of the army across the border. He said, had there been any movement India would have detected it. “When there are not even remote signs of war why to uproot poor farmers and that too at a time when their crops are ready for harvest?” he asked.

Capt Amarinder pointed out the orders for evacuation had not come from the defence ministry, but the home ministry. He said, “Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal instead of meekly submitting to the centre’s diktats should have taken a stand against evacuation which is totally uncalled for. He said, there was no mass evacuation in 1965 or 2002 during the Operation Parakram.

The former Chief Minister maintained that Pakistan had no reason to retaliate since Indian army had not attacked Pakistan army, but only destroyed the terrorist camps and launchpads across the LoC. Besides, he added, even Prime Minister Narendra Modi had called for de-escalation and everyone was asking for restraint.

To another question, Capt Amarinder said, while India should continue the diplomatic efforts at isolating Pakistan, at the same time it must not close the option of talks. “Eventually we have to talk to each other”, he observed, adding, “We should better declare war on poverty than against each other”.