Punjab CM slams Centre over Army surgical strikes

Chandigarh: Punjab chief minister Capt. Amarinder Singh on Thursday condemned the Modi government’s repeated attempts to politicise the Indian Army over the issue of the surgical strikes.

Talking to media persons after distributing compensation cheques to the Jodhput detenues, the chief minister said while he had not seen the purported video of the surgical strikes, released by a TV channel, he was not in favour of using the Army for political mileage.

Echoing the sentiment expressed by the Congress, Capt. Amarinder Singh said the actions of the Army should not be used as fodder for political or electoral gains. It was unfortunate that the surgical strikes, which had claimed the lives of many Indian soldiers, were being repeatedly politicised by the Central government, he added.

In response to a question, the chief minister lambasted Leader of the Opposition in the Punjab Assembly Sukhpal Khaira over his attempts to secure political and personal gains by raising the bogey of drugs. The Aam Aadmi Party leader evidently likes seeing his pictures in newspapers and on television screens, quipped Capt. Singh, adding that his government was well on way to eliminating the drugs menace and drugs smugglers were under immense pressure.

The Punjab government has tightened the noose around drug smugglers and around 10,000 peddlers were in jail, said the chief minister, adding that one of the kingpins was lodged in Hong Kong prison and efforts were on to secure his extradition. The government had information about three major drug suppliers having fled out of India, Capt. Amarinder Singh disclosed.