Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee president Captain Amarinder Singh said on Sunday that the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre was creating unnecessary war hysteria and tension along Punjab borders with an eye on the Uttar Pradesh elections. He appealed to the villagers living along the border areas not to leave and to stay put in their respective homes. He assured them that there appeared no signs of war as of 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 run away which the BJP is trying to make them do and which they will never do,” he asserted and added, “They have the courage and confidence to guard and protect others while risking their own lives.” Addressing a press conference along the sidelines of the “Halke vich Captain” programme here on Sunday, Capt. 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 that Punjabis were being made scapegoats for the UP elections, as the 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 and added that had there been any movement, India would have detected it.
“When there are not even remote signs of war, why uproot poor farmers and that too at a time when their crops are ready for harvest ” he asked.
Capt. Amarinder pointed out that the orders for evacuation had not come from the defence ministry, but the home ministry. He said chief minister Parkash Singh Badal should have taken a stand against evacuation, which is totally uncalled for, instead of meekly submitting to the Centre’s diktats. He said, there was no mass evacuation in 1965 or 2002 during 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”.
