A day before campaigning wound up for 2019 Lok Sabha polls, Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh spoke with The Indian Express on the elections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his claim that the Balakot strikes are his personal success , and the state of affairs in Punjab. Excerpts:
How is this election different from the previous ones?
What has made a major difference is the social media. Also, there are at least 25 per cent more TV channels than five years ago. The coverage is much more, and people are very aware.
How many seats do you hope to win, considering you (Congress) had only three last time (in Punjab)?
We will sweep the state, and it is not a statement I am making just like that. The Akali Dal is pided into three, so is the Aam Aadmi Party. The Congress will be the biggest gainer. This pision, coupled with the anger against the Akalis, our principal opposition, on the sacrilege issue will have a major impact on voting. The Congress will get an upper hand.
You have decided to build a memorial to victims of the unprovoked firing at Bargari.
Yes, we actually announced it earlier, but we were in a quandary. Putting money into a cenotaph is not really worth it. We left it to the village to decide but I would suggest that they should set up an institute of sorts, or a college, that really benefits people.
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Today the tendency is to make gates. But what is the benefit of a gate? It should be something where children can study, or may be a hospital.
What are the prospects of Congress in rest of the country?
I have been talking to colleagues I have been flying with, and everyone is very upbeat. Statistically, if you ask me which state is doing what, I can t tell you, but indications are that we are doing well.
Your speeches have been largely on Prime Minister Narendra Modi. You were the first to take on the Prime Minister on the Balakot strikes.
I don t think Modi has any right to claim these as his personal success. No Prime Minister before him from 1947 until now – has claimed any strike (by the forces) as their personal success. They have always attributed it to the armed forces. Mrs Indira Gandhi gave full credit to Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw (for the 1971 war).
After that, (Atal Bihari) Vajpayee gave credit for Kargil success to the defence services – to the then (Army) chief Gen V P Malik. The decision is obviously taken by the Prime Minister in consultation with the Cabinet and the (service) Chiefs do brief the Cabinet. But it is the defence services that finally carry out the mission.
As for people questioning the Balakot strikes, I think people have the right to question. When the Air Force chief tells me he has hit the target, I believe him because I am a [retired] serviceman, but there are millions and millions of other people who would like to know whether the strikes took place or not. Why I am saying this is because during Kargil (War), you showed every picture on the television screen. The strike of the Air Force on Pakistani ammunition dump was flashed across the screens. Today your technology is far more sophisticated.
Forget about sending a reconnaissance aircraft, your satellites provide you information on a minute-to-minute basis. Similarly, when missiles were fired, every missile has a camera in its cone, on its nose, and it keeps relaying information until the point of its impact. That must have all been there with the Air Force. Why are you (government) not showing this? That is what we want to know.
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