Days after the Centre sought Punjab Government’s opinion on handing over the Gurdaspur terror attack case to National Investigation Agency (NIA), Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal on Friday said that both the Central and State Governments are conducting a “parallel” probe on the issue.
“let NIA do their probe, the State Government is conducting its own inquiry on the matter,” said Badal.
“We have no objection on any central agency conducting the probe...we share all information related to the terror attack with the central agency on daily basis,” he said, while stressing that the Government is firm to maintain peace in the state.
However, he said, “We have certain limitations...It’s the Centre who should see what steps they need to take to prevent states from
terror strike.”
It is understood that the Punjab Government is
conducting it’s own probe in Gurdaspur terror attack case and sharing every information with the central agencies.
On being pressed that NIA want to conduct probe, Badal said, “We have no objection, but our Government will also continue parallel inquiry in the Gurdaspur attack case.”
Union Home Ministry is pitching for handing over the investigation to the specialised anti-terror probe agency, NIA, and made requests to Punjab Government in this connection recently.
In the pre-dawn attack by the terrorists, suspected to be members of either
Pakistan-based lashkar-e-Taiba (leT) or Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), in army fatigues first targeted a roadside eatery, then sprayed bullets on a passenger bus and later barged into Dinanagar police station in Gurdaspur.
Seven persons — three civilians, SP (Detective) Baljit Singh and three home guards — were killed by the terrorists. A Punjab police SWAT commando team later eliminated the three terrorists after a long-drawn operation.
Centre should take final call on Indo-Pak talks
Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal on Friday said that it is up to the Central Government to take a final call on whether they want to go ahead with the NSA-level talks. “We want peace…I would not comment further, it is up to them (the Centre),” he told the media.