CHANDIGARH: Chief Minister Amarinder Singh rubbished the pro-Khalistan rally 'Punjab Referendum 2020' and blamed Pakistan's ISI for its role in the 'no-show' event.
"The no-show SFJ rally in London has exposed the total lack of ground support for the Referendum 2020 even outside India,'' said Amarinder, who dismissed it as a futile exercise by a 'sham organisation' to create trouble in India, particularly Punjab.
"The Sikhs for Justice is just a group of fringe elements playing into the hands of ISI to divide India, but they have failed. They will continue to fail. The presence of Pakistani politicians at the rally confirms that it was an ISI plot, which fell through, just as their attempts to create trouble in India have been failing."
As expected, Amarinder said, the event turned out to be a "damp squib".
The Chief Minister felt the UK government should not have allowed its soil to be used for anti-India activities.
“By allowing the protestors to use Trafalgar Square, instead of the usual Hyde Park that's generally used for such purposes, it (the UK govt) has shown total complacency."
The entire referendum is nothing but a money-making racket of SFJ, with no takers either in India or even outside, he added.
"The presence of Pakistani leaders, including Nazir Ahmed who openly spoke of dividing India and splitting Kashmir, Punjab and Nagaland from it, made it clear that the rally was a game plan of the ISI - a fact further endorsed by the presence of separatist Kashmiris living in the UK."
Amarinder asserted the Sikhs always stood for the unity and integrity of India. As many as 90,000 Sikhs are serving in the Army, defending the country's borders, he pointed out, adding that the SFJ could never succeed in misleading the community into falling for their selfish designs.
He warned the SFJ and all other anti-India forces to not make any attempt to foment trouble in India. Their efforts will backfire he said, adding that his government would deal with such elements with an iron hand. "Nobody will be allowed to disturb peace and communal harmony in Punjab."