SAD, AAP condemn Punjab DGP's statement claiming Kartarpur corridor could be used to radicalise citizens, train terrorists

Chandigarh: The Opposition SAD and AAP on Saturday condemned Punjab DGP Dinkar Gupta’s purported statement on the Kartarpur corridor and sought clarification from Chief Minister Amarinder Singh within 24 hours. The Shiromani Akali Dal said if the clarification was not issued, the party will stall proceedings of the budget session of the Vidhan Sabha on 24 February. The Aam Aadmi Party too lashed out at the DGP, terming the statement condemnable and seeking the removal of the top cop. [caption id=“attachment_7618061” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Representational image. PTI[/caption] SAD senior leader Bikram Singh Majithia alleged that DGP Gupta told a national daily that “Kartarpur offers a potential that you send somebody in the morning as an ordinary chap and by evening he comes back as trained terrorist actually. You are there for six hours, you can be taken to a firing range, you can be taught to make an IED”. The DGP also reportedly said some elements based in the neighbouring country were “trying to woo the pilgrims and making overtures to them”. “I condemn the statement in the strongest possible words. I do not think it is the statement given by the Punjab DGP, I see this coming from the Congress headquarters because this DGP was handpicked by overlooking several senior officers,” alleged Majithia. Majithia also dubbed the statement a “deep-rooted conspiracy” of the Congress to paint every Sikh pilgrim a “terrorist”. “As many as 52,098 pilgrims have so far paid obeisance at the Kartarpur gurdwara. Please check us and see which one of them became terrorist,” asked Majithia, alleging that they (Congress) were trying to get the corridor shut. “If the clarification is not given by Amarinder Singh within 24 hours, we will not allow the Punjab Vidhan Sabha run on 24 February,” warned Majithia. AAP MLA and the Leader of Opposition in the state assembly, Harpal Singh Cheema, sought the DGP’s removal. “The statement poses a threat to the country’s unity and integrity. The CM should lodge an FIR against him (DGP), put him behind bars and remove him from his post,” said Cheema. Meanwhile, Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee chief Gobind Singh Longowal also condemned the DGP’s statement and said the corridor gave a message of peace. “With the DGP’s statement, sentiments of Sikhs have been hurt. So far, 50,000 devotees have offered prayers at the Kartarpur gurdwara and no such instance like what the DGP has said has come to the fore yet,” said Longowal in a statement. Earlier, Chief Minister Amarinder Singh too had repeatedly warned that Pakistan had “nefarious designs” behind the opening of the Kartarpur corridor and had also maintained that while he was extremely happy as a Sikh at its opening, “the threat it posed to India could not be ignored”. The Kartarpur corridor, which was opened on November 9 last year, links the Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Pakistan–the final resting place of Guru Nanak Dev–with Dera Baba Nanak in Gurdaspur of Indian Punjab.