'It against the nation's Constitutional spirit': Captain Amarinder Singh on Hyd encounter

Speaking about the controversial Hyderabad encounter, Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Saturday said that extra-constitutional executions are against the nation's Constitutional spirit.  He also opposed the Citizenship Amendment Bill and said that it would not be allowed to pass in Punjab State Assembly.

Addressing a session on 'A Better Tomorrow' at a summit organized by a leading media house, Congress Minister Amarinder Singh said: "If the men had fired at the cops, then the action would have been justified." He also made it clear that there was no such thing as an encounter. "In Punjab, the police are very clear on this issue; and terrorists and gangsters had been asked to lay down their arms or face the consequences," he added.

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Captain Amarinder Singh also strongly opposed the National Register of Citizens (NRC) saying that it is against the democratic spirit of a "free country" India.  Upon asking how will Punjab tackle the problem if the Centre makes it a law, Amarinder Singh replied: "Let the proposed Citizenship Amendment Bill be passed by Parliament and come to our Assembly, where we have a two-thirds majority... It will not be passed in my state."

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Criticizing NRC

Both Amarinder Singh and Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, who attended the session, pointed out that the Congress party opposed the NRC as a tool to force the people out of the country. Stating that the Centre cannot take unilateral decisions on important matters, the Punjab Chief Minister questioned, "What if Bangladesh refuses to take back those asked to leave Assam? Such a move would create problems. Can we refuse Indians settled abroad from coming back home if they so want?" 

Both Chief Ministers confidently claimed that Jharkhand polls would bring a wave of change in the country, as Baghek called it a transition period that will speed up in the future.

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Talking about vengeful politics, Captain Amarinder Singh clarified that it does not happen in all parties, citing the example of Punjab where he had ordered investigations only after finding evidence of misconduct. With reference to the allegations of his state being responsible for Delhi's air pollution, Amarinder pointed out that he was not allowed to fly by chopper from Chandigarh due to the smog in Delhi on Saturday, even though his state was clear and sunny. "So where is the pollution in Delhi coming from now that stubble burning has ended in Punjab?" he asked

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(With ANI inputs)