Punjab DGP Claims Kartarpur Is a ‘Security Challenge’, SAD Calls Remark ‘Insulting’

“You send somebody in the morning as an ordinary chap and by evening he comes back as trained terrorist,” the Punjab police chief said.

New Delhi: The Punjab police chief’s assertion that Kartarpur Corridor was a “huge security challenge from terrorism point of view” has turned into a political row, with opposition party Shiromani Akali Dal claiming that the remark was an insult to the patriotism of Sikhs.

Speaking at the Indian Express idea exchange on Friday, Director General of Punjab Police Dinkar Gupta claimed that the opening of the Kartarpur pilgrim was a challenge for security personnel as some elements in neighbouring countries “were trying to woo the pilgrims and making overtures to them”.

“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,” he said.

The visa-free corridor connecting Dera Baba Nanak in India to Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Pakistan was inaugurated in November on the occasion of 550th birth anniversary of the founder of Sikhism.

“It is a huge concern…that is why it was not opened for all these years. I was in Intelligence Bureau for eight years…I used to handle it over there. The feeling was that it (the Corridor) will be a huge security challenge. But after that as the community wanted it, the disapora wanted it, it was decided why cannot this dream be realised. So all those security concerns were put on the backburner. And we also gave our go ahead,” said the Punjab police chief.

Gupta added that there had been concerns in Delhi, where he was called to be part of a brainstorming session on the Kartarpur Corridor.

Also read: Why Sikhs Don’t See Khalistan Terror Through Kartarpur Corridor as a Serious Threat

“They (Pakistan based elements and agencies) have already tried to find potential (people for radicalisation). People who are going there, they are trying to woo them, making overtures to them. We are also concerned about the phones, which are going there,” he stated.

Recently, Pakistan had suddenly announced that pilgrims would no longer need to show their passports. This had been a long-standing demand from India, but the announcement took New Delhi by surprise.

Asked whether the Pakistani decision on passports was timed to coincide with the ‘Referendum 2020’ of Sikh separatists, the senior police officer noted that the numbers going to the pilgrim corridor had increased exponentially. “Earlier the traffic to Pakistan was only a few jathas at Baisakhi and gurpurab. (now) The footfall, the numbers are huge. This is huge potential. So, it is a security challenge”.

Punjab chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh had also previously expressed concern over the security threat posed by the opening of the pilgrim corridor.

He had also pointed out that Pakistan was trying to win brownie points with the Sikh diaspora to further the agenda of ‘Referendum 2020’.

“We were able to contain terrorism to a large extent in Punjab in 1993. After that there were sporadic incidents. Pakistan is always looking for foot soldiers to carry out terrorist incidents,” said Gupta.

A day later, the opposition Shiromani Akali Dal was quick to claim that Gupta’s words showed an inherent bias against Sikhs.

Stating that it was “highly unacceptable”, SAD leader Bikram Singh Majithia said that DGP was “furthering Indira Gandhi’s ideology which painted every Sikh as terrorist, it’s a deep-rooted conspiracy”.

Also read: Nankana Sahib Is the Undoing of Kartarpur’s Movement Towards an Inclusive Pakistani Identity

Another SAD leader Maninder Singh Sirsa called for an apology from the Punjab chief minister for offending sentiments and demanded that action be taken against the DGP.