NEW DELHI: The Centre has taken "serious" note of a pro-Khalistan group's letter extending support to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Union Home Minister Amit Shah said on Friday as the controversy over the letter created a flutter on the last day of campaigning in Punjab.
The letter purportedly written by the Sikhs For Justice (SFJ) in Gurmukhi was forwarded to the home minister by Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi along with a personal note saying the matter was "serious" and compromised the security and integrity of the nation.
Shah in his reply to Channi's letter said that no one will be allowed to play with India's unity and integrity.
He said it is highly condemnable that to grab power some people go to the extent of joining hands with the separatists and also go to the limits of breaking Punjab and the country.
He said this in reply to the letter written by Channi claiming that he had received a letter by SFJ which shows that the group is in constant touch with the AAP.
Channi claimed that in the SFJ letter it was mentioned that it had given its support to the AAP in the assembly elections in Punjab in 2017 and similarly in these polls too.
The SFJ has exhorted the electorate to vote for AAP, Channi further claimed.
Polling for the Punjab assembly elections will be held on February 20.
"I want to assure you that no one will be allowed to play with the unity and integrity of the country. The government of India has taken the matter very seriously and I myself will look into the matter deeply," Shah said in his response.
He said the issue of a political party having relations and getting support from a terrorist and banned organisation is a serious matter with regard to the unity and integrity of the country.
Shah said the agenda of such forces is no different from the agenda of country's enemies.
"This is highly condemnable that to grab power such people go to the extent of joining hands with the separatists and also go to the limits of breaking Punjab and the country," he said.
Channi, in his letter, said it was a very serious issue of compromising with the security and integrity of the country and thus needs to be thoroughly investigated.
"I would urge upon you to immediately get this matter investigated for taking appropriate action in this regard," he said.
In addition, Channi said Arvind Kejriwal's one time close aide Kumar Vishwas has made serious allegations of the AAP co-founder and Delhi chief minister's links with the Khalistani forces.
"These allegations also deserved to be probed comprehensively and necessary action taken accordingly. I hope you would consider this and take appropriate necessary action immediately keeping in view the seriousness of the matter involved as Punjab has already suffered heavily due to these separatist forces," he said.
The Bharatiya Janata Party on Friday appealed to the people of Punjab to give the party-led alliance a clear majority for peace and prosperity in the state which goes to the polls on Sunday.
Union Minister and the party's Punjab affairs in-charge, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat said his party has come with a vision and agenda for the development of Punjab, unlike the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party, which the saffron party claimed, are pursuing a divisive agenda.
Shekhawat, along with the state BJP general secretary, Subhash Sharma, said, the BJP was fighting the Punjab elections as a major partner for the first time while earlier it used to contest only 23 seats.
He appealed to the people to give the BJP-led alliance a clear majority for Punjab's peace and prosperity.
The BJP, which had an alliance with the Shiromani Akali Dal earlier, used to fight 23 of the 117 seats while the remaining were contested by the SAD.
The SAD led by Sukhbir Singh Badal, however, broke ties with the saffron party over the farm laws issue in 2020.
The BJP is contesting the February 20 polls in alliance with former Chief Minister Amarinder Singh-led Punjab Lok Congress and Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa-led SAD (Sanyukt).
On the last day of the poll campaign, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh also participated in a roadshow taken out by Amarinder Singh in Patiala.
People want to create a 'Nava Punjab' and only the BJP-led alliance can bring all-round progress in the state, Rajnath Singh later said.
Shekhawat cautioned against the "hidden and divisive agenda" of the Congress party.
In an official statement, Shekhawat said the state of affairs in the Congress was so anarchic that it even forgot to release its manifesto till the last day "and it only released it when it was pointed out by the media".
He said there is a "vertical split" in the Congress with PCC president Navjot Singh Sidhu and Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi pulling in diametrically opposite directions.
The BJP leader also targeted the AAP, referring to allegations levelled by former AAP leader Kumar Vishwas.
He also said, not only Kumar Vishwas but other senior colleagues of AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal too had from time to time revealed "his (Kejriwal's) agenda to pursue personal ambitions".
Shekhawat said the Punjabis have always rejected any "sectarian, divisive and extremist agenda with the spirit of Punjabiyat and they will reject it this time also".
Appealing people to vote for the BJP-led alliance for a clear majority, Shekhawat said while other parties pursued divisive agenda, the BJP believed in peace, progress and social harmony, with "sabka sath, sabka vikas" (inclusive growth of all).
"You have given chance to the Congress and the Akalis, now give us one chance," he appealed to Punjabis while clarifying that although the BJP was an ally of the Akalis earlier, being a junior partner, it had only a limited role then.