Punjab: Capt Amarinder Singh opposes extra-constitutional executions, says cops have right to defend if attacked

Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Saturday came out against extra-constitutional executions as being against the nation's Constitutional spirit, while also opposing the Citizenship Amendment Bill, which he said would not be allowed to be passed in his state Assembly.

Speaking at a session on 'A Better Tomorrow' at a summit orgsed by a leading media house, Chief Minister Amarinder, while referring to Telangana encounter, said: "If the men had fired at the cops, then the action was justified."

He, however, made it clear that there was no such thing as an encounter. "In Punjab, the police were very clear on this issue and terrorists and gangsters had been asked to lay down their arms or face the consequences," added he.

The Chief Minister also came out strongly against the National Register of Citizens (NRC) as being against the democratic spirit of India, which is a "free country."

When asked how Punjab will tackle the problem if the Centre makes it a law, Amarinder said: "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."

Both Amarinder and Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, who attended the session, pointed out that the Congress party was opposed to the NRC as a tool to force the people to leave the country.

"What if Bangladesh refuses to take back those asked to leave Assam," said the Punjab Chief Minister, adding that the Centre could not take unilateral decisions on such important matters.

"Such a move would create problems," he said, asking "can we refuse Indians settled abroad from coming back home if they so want?"

Both the Chief Ministers were confident that the forthcoming Jharkhand polls would endorse the change happening in the country, with Baghel calling it a transition period that will pick up pace going forward.

On the issue of vindictive politics, the Punjab Chief Minister made it clear that it does not happen in all parties and cited the example of his state where he had ordered investigations only where there was some evidence of misconduct.

With reference to the allegations of Punjab being responsible for Delhi's air pollution, Amarinder pointed out that he did not get permission to fly by chopper from Chandigarh due to the smog in Delhi this morning even though his state was bright and sunny.

"So where is the pollution in Delhi coming from. Now that stubble burning has ended in Punjab," he asked.

( With inputs from ANI )