New Delhi, August 10:Amid escalating threat to the state’s security from across the border, PunjabChief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Tuesday asked Union Home MinisterAmit Shah to urgently provide 25 companies of Central Armed Police Forces(CAPF) and anti-drone gadgets for the Border Security Force (BSF) forprotection from Pak-backed terror forces.
Citing the recentheavy influx of weapons, hand-grenades and IEDs into the state, with Pakistan’sISI also raising the ante ahead of the Independence Day and in the run-up tothe Punjab Assembly polls, the Chief Minister told Shah at a meeting here this eveningthat the security situation was grave and needed the Centre’s immediateintervention.
Captain Amarindersought from the Union Home Minister CAPF deployment for Amritsar, Jalandhar,Ludhiana, Mohali, Patiala, Bathinda, Phagwara and Moga, as well as anti-dronetechnology for the BSF deployed at the borders. He pointed to the potent threatto the security of vital infrastructure/installations and publicmeetings/events being attended by highly threatened individuals.
Citing inputs fromcentral and state agencies, corroborated by disclosures made by arrestedterrorists, Captain Amarinder said potential individual and mass indiscriminatetargets include trains, buses and Hindu temples, prominent Kisan leaders(specific inputs about 5 such farmer leaders had been received but they hadrefused to take security offered by Punjab and Haryana police), RSSShakhas/Offices, RSS/BJP/Shiv Sena leaders based in Punjab, Deras, NirankariBhawans and Samagams.
The Chief Ministerapprised Shah about the recent efforts by Pakistan’s ISI and the country’sestablishment to push large quantities of weapons, hand-grenades, RDXexplosive, detonators, timer devices, sophisticated laboratory made tiffinbombs into Punjab for carrying out terrorist acts. “With the Punjab Assemblyelections scheduled for February-March 2022, many militant and radicaloperatives are being pressurized by the ISI to carry out terrorist actions.These are very serious and worrisome developments having huge securityimplications for the border state and its people,” he warned.
He reminded the HomeMinister about the earlier targeted killings masterminded by the ISI, includingthat of RSS/Shiv Sena/Dera leaders and RSS Shakhas, in 2016, ahead of the lastAssembly polls. Also, the Maur bomb blast on January 31st 2017 was carried outjust three days prior to the polling day on February 4th, 2017, he noted.
The Chief Ministertold Shah that between July 4 and August 8, 2021, foreign based pro-Khalistanientities, working in close collaboration with the ISI, had managed to inductover 30 pistols, one MP4 Rifle, one AK-47 Rifle, around 35 hand-grenades,sophisticated laboratory made tiffin bombs, over 6 Kg RDX and assorted hardwarefor fabrication of IEDs (9 detonators, 1 multiple timer device and fuse-wire).He further informed Shah that in the last 35 days, more than 17 deliveries ofweapons, hand-grenades, explosives and assorted IED fabrication hardware hadcome to the notice of the Punjab Police and the central agencies, which meantthat consignments of weapons/hand-grenades/IEDs were delivered to Punjab basedterror operatives on every 2nd day in July with the trend continuing in August.
The Chief Ministerfurther observed that the fencing at the Indo-Pak border in Punjab had beenrendered ineffective as a result of the tremendous capacity and expertisedeveloped by the ISI and Pakistan based Khalistani terrorist outfits, whichallows them to use drones for delivery of terrorist hardware and drugs over theborder fence into Punjab with ease. This, he stressed, had emerged as a seriousnational security concern.