advertisement
Punjab DGP, Dinkar Gupta, raked up a massive controversy after he called the Kartarpur Corridor “a huge security challenge from terrorism point of view”. He claimed that some elements from the neighbouring country were “trying to woo the pilgrims and making overtures to them”. The police chief made these comments at an Indian Express event in Panchkula.
Raising concerns over Pakistan’s intentions for agreeing to the corridor, Gupta reportedly said,
The corridor was thrown open on 9 November 2019, just days before the 550th anniversary of the birth of Guru Nanak. The corridor takes pilgrims straight to the Gurdwara Darbar Sahib Kartarpur.
“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,” the DGP said, reported The Indian Express.
Gupta reportedly said that he was in Delhi last week attending a brainstorming session on Kartarpur. Apart from concern over radicalisation of the people who are going over, Gupta said that there was also concern over the ‘phones which are going there’.
The police chief’s comments drew much flak from political quarters. Shiromani Akali Dal’s Bikram Majithia termed it a “deep-rooted conspiracy”.
AAP leader Harpal Singh Cheema condemned Gupta’s remark.
After the comments sparked controversy, Punjab Public Relations department shared a statement of Punjab DPG Dinkar Gupta with ANI.
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)