CHANDIGARH: Punjab chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh, in his Independence Day speech, vowed to protect the state borders against the 'nefarious desigs of Pakistan'.
He said that since his government has come to power, 47 Pakistani terror modules and 37 gangster groups have been neutralised.
Calling for extreme vigil against Pakistan, which continued to foment trouble even 75 years after independence, Amarinder asserted that he will not tolerate any aggression or attack on our territory. Addressing the people of the state after unfurling the national flag, he said, "We will teach them (Pakistan) the lesson of their lifetime if they try to be adventurous.”
Pointing to the use of drones by the neighbouring country to smuggle arms and drugs into the state, Amarinder warned that Pakistan will not leave any opportunity to take advantage of any vulnerability in Punjab.
Stressing the need to ensure peace in the state to promote development and progress of its people, he said his government would not tolerate any threat, including those from gangsters and terrorists. “We will deal with them squarely,” he said, adding that “Any threat to Punjab would be a danger to our entire nation.”
Later, interacting informally with some mediapersons, he expressed concerns over the continuing agitation of the farmers and said he had raised the issue recently during his meetings with the Prime Minister and the Union Home Minister. He said he demanded the repeal of the farm laws, which were anti-farmer and against the spirit of the constitution. He made it clear that he would continue to fight with the farmers for the revocation of these legislations, and would not let the sacrifices of those who had lost their lives in this struggle go in vain.
In his official address, referring to the gains made by his government in its fight against the deadly menace of drugs, he highlighted the 47,510 cases registered under the NDPS Act and the 216 ‘big fish’ (caught with 5 kg or more of heroin) arrested so far. More than seven lakh patients are undergoing treatment as part of the de-addiction programme, he added.