GURDASPUR: Condemning the terror attack in Dina Nagar on Moday in which seven people died and three militants were eliminated, AICC General Secretary Shakeel Ahmed today expressed the apprehension about the increase in terrorist activity from across the border.
"This was the first case of these terrorists having targeted Punjab," he said. He said going by the data recovered from their GPS devices, it was a well-planned operation and as such, the real motives must be investigated. He also said that this operation was specially designed to create terror in the border State of Punjab. "The Central Security Agencies should relook at the border fencing and the loop holes which the terrorist can easily use to infiltrate into the Indian Territory," he said adding that "these should be plugged in immediately".
Ahmed also expressed strong concern over what he described as the appeasement policy being adopted by Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal towards militants and exploiting "religious issues to garner votes" that had played havoc with the state earlier. Ahmed alleged that going by his (Badal's) record during terrorism, he never took a firm stand and he was following the same policy now while adopting a different public posture. Meanwhile, Punjab Congress President Partap Singh Bajwa said the martyrs of terrorist attack on Dinanagar police station must be honoured by giving Rs 50 lakh compensation each to the bereaved families.
He said that if the Moga Bus incident and Ropar Bus incident victims can be compensated to the tune of Rs 32 and Rs 20 lakhs why the Government of Punjab is giving just Rs 10 lakh to the National martyrs. He also insisted upon the need for Police modernisation and withdrawal of Police personnels from the VIP duties so that they are available for these kinds of operations 24 by 7. Lambasting Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal, Bajwa said that the seriousness of the state's Home minister is evident from the fact that the "Punjab is boiling and he is holidaying in Poland".
Sukhbir should have immediately cancelled his tour and visited the bereaved families, he said. In Kapurthala, Bajwa accompanied by Shakeel Ahmed and Secretary AICC Asha Kumari joined the cremation of the SP(D) Baljit Singh, who died fighting the terrorist. He demanded that the son of the martyr should be adjusted as the Deputy Superintendent of Police on compassionate grounds while his two daughters be provided gazetted jobs.
The PPCC chief also demanded Rs 1 lakh each to the injured in the attack. At the same time, he said the bus driver and the railway employee whose alertness saved so many lives must be suitably honoured. The two leaders also visited the families of Punjab Home Guards and other martyrs of Dina Nagar attack at Pathankot, Gurdaspur and Kaputhala.