Keep cheap politics out of sensitive issues: Badal

Slamming the Opposition parties for "politicizing" the Pathankot terror attack, Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal on Friday said sensitive issues involving national security must be spared from cheap politics.

On the sidelines of the state government's Sangat Darshan programme in Rajasansi assembly segment here, Badal said it was unfortunate that the political leadership was making "baseless statements" on the terror attack. "Our brave soldiers have valiantly protected honour of the country but some political outfits were washing dirty linen on it for sake of vested interests, which is shameful," Badal said.

He said there were a number of issues for political leaders to debate but they must at least spare such issues where nation's security was concerned.

The Opposition, including Congress and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), have criticised the SAD-BJP government's handling of last week's terror attack on the IAF base in Pathankot.

While state Congress chief Amarinder Singh described the state government's response during the last two attacks in Dina Nagar and Pathankot as "casual and disappointing", AAP noted that the "nexus" of Akali leaders, drug peddlers and militants resulted in the militant attack at Pathankot.

Reiterating the state government's commitment to help the bereaved families of security personnel killed in the Pathankot attack, Badal said every effort would be made to bail out the families from the crisis. 

He said the state government had already decided to provide a financial assistance of Rs 25 lakh to next of kin of the martyrs along with a government job as a humble tribute to the brave soldiers.

Meanwhile, Punjab's Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal on Friday met Union Home minister Rajnath Singh and sought more security personnel to guard the state's border with Pakistan to check infiltration and "drug terrorism" sponsored by the neighbouring nation.

In his meeting with Singh in the national Capital, Sukhbir is understood to have shared relevant details related to the Pathankot terror attack case, which is now being probed by the National Investigation Agency (NIA). 

"I have requested the Home Minister to increase Border Security Force (BSF) personnel to guard International Border in Punjab. It has to be increased to the level of deployment at the J&K border," he said.

Sukhbir, however, denied handing over Dinanagar attack case to the NIA saying that state police was handling the case in proper way.

He denied any police failure in checking terrorists who had attacked the Air Force base in Pathankot.