Punjab chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Wednesday called for a zero-compromise policy by India against inimical forces across the border, even as he dismissed the Khalistani threats against him, saying he would not allow anyone to disturb the state’s peace.
He said India’s response to the beheading of two soldiers in Poonch this week should be clear and unequivocal.
“If they (Pakistan) beheaded our jawans, we should follow the same. We should stop being a gentleman’s army. If they (Pakistan) cut one of our heads, we should cut three of theirs,” he told a TV channel in a free-wheeling interview, a state government press release claimed.
On Khalistani threats, the Chief Minister said, “If they (Pakistan) have the guts they should come and speak here instead of misleading people with unsubstantiated statements elsewhere.”
“They can shout their heads off, who cares?” he said, and added, “We want a stable Punjab, we want development.” Having been in the Army, he had seen wars and never worried about any risk or threat to his safety, he said.
In response to a question, he said he had been unable to attend the cremation of one of the beheaded soldiers, Naib Subedar Paramjeet Singh, in his village in Tarn Taran in Punjab, as he was unable to walk due to a foot injury.