New Delhi: The Centre will deploy additional forces in Punjab ahead of the Operation Blue Star anniversary in June.
The move came after Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann met Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday afternoon at North Block and demanded deployment of additional paramilitary forces in the state ahead of the 38th anniversary of the Operation Blue Star on June 6 – when Indian Army and other security forces stormed the Golden Temple in 1984 to root out Khalistani terrorists.
According to Ministry officials, 20 para-military force companies will be sent – 10 for Amritsar city and around and rest for other sensitive parts of the state.
The proscribed Sikh For Justice has again announced to hold a ‘Khalistan Referendum’ on June 6 and the intelligence agencies have also sounded the alert for Punjab and neighbouring states.
Following the input from the Intel agencies, the Punjab government has sounded a general alert in the state and asked the security forces to be on high alert.
“There has been a regular input that some miscreants are trying to create troubles in Punjab. So I request the Home Minister to sanction additional forces,” Mann said after meeting Shah.
Officials in the Ministry said that 10 companies have already been sanctioned to Punjab after the meeting and additional 10 companies will be sanctioned at earliest.
Mann also said that the Home Minister has assured him that the Centre will help the state in all security-related issues.
(IANS)
