Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh on Monday said that his Cabinet colleague Navjot Singh Sidhu’s decision to go to Pakistan for their ground-breaking ceremony of Kartarpur corridor was “his way of thinking” but he personally could not think of going there while Indian soldiers and civilians were being killed by them.
“As an army man, I could not tolerate the killing of innocent Indians,” said the Chief Minister, pointing out that even today, an Indian army personnel was killed by Pakistani snipers.
He could not go to the neighbouring country in these circumstances, he said, in an informal chat with mediapersons after laying the foundation stone for Kartarpur Corridor.
As for the Central Government’s decision to send its ministers to the Pak ceremony, the Chief Minister said that it was for them to do as they deem fit but he personally felt thought should have been more sensitive to the feelings of Indian soldiers and citizens. “The Centre cannot close its eyes to what is happening in India as a result of Pakistan’s policy and support to terrorist groups,” he said.
The Chief Minister said that the world knows about Pakistan’s role in perpetrating terrorism in India, as manifest in the attacks in Pathankot, Mumbai, Dinanagar, and of course, Jammu and Kashmir.
“The Central Government is also fully aware of this,” he said while reiterating his stand that till the cycle of violence unleashed by Pakistan against India came to a stop, he would not travel to that country.