Keep out of Punjab, Capt Amarinder Singh tells Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal

Punjab Chief Minister Capt. Amarinder Singh has warned his Delhi counterpart Arvind Kejriwal against trying to exploit the COVID-19 crisis to instigate people in Punjab’s villages, which have witnessed a spurt of 'fake news and provocative videos', at least one of which was found to have emanated from abroad, most likely Pakistan, and propagated in the state by an active worker of Kejriwal’s Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).

Amrinder Singh, an AAP worker, has been arrested in this regard and is being questioned to ascertain who motivated him to circulate the outrageous post of a dead body to mislead people into believing that organs of dead COVID-19 patients were being removed by the Punjab Health Department.

Capt. Amarinder Singh said the video/post propagated by the AAP worker was seen to be exhorting and provoking people not to cooperate with health authorities, thus endangering the health and safety of the citizens of the state.

Such rumours are provoking a section of the community to resist proper medical care which needs to be provided to all COVID-19 affected citizens, which is a clear case of a deadly criminal conspiracy against

the people of the state who are already suffering due to the pandemic, said Capt Amarinder Singh.

There were enough indications of a massive plot by elements inimical to the interests of Punjab, he said, disclosing that the police had on Thursday morning registered another case (FIR No. 238) at Police Station, Civil Lines, Patiala, on a complaint by a local medical journalist, who was offered 100 dollars for making and circulating a false video on the COVID-19 scare.

Capt. Amarinder said Kejriwal’s announcement in the midst of the shocking viral campaign, asking AAP workers to go around villages and streets of Punjab with Oxymeters to check people’s oxygen levels, raised serious questions on the role of his party in the conspiracy to undermine the Punjab government’s efforts to keep the pandemic under check and save the lives of the people of the state.

The Delhi Chief Minister’s decision could have grave repercussions for Punjab’s security and integrity, said Captain Amarinder Singh, warning Kejriwal against playing into the hands of anti-India forces from across the border, who are trying to use the COVID-19 pandemic to foment fresh trouble for the state.

Capt. Amarinder Singh asked the Delhi Chief Minister to stay out of Punjab and focus on managing COVID-19 in his own state, where the situation was worsening by the day with more than 2500 new cases being reported yesterday and hospitals reportedly running out of ICU beds again.

“We don’t need your Oxymeters. We just need you to rein in your workers in Punjab, where they are trying to incite my people into not going to hospitals to get themselves tested and treated for COVID-19,” said Capt. Amarinder Singh to Kejriwal.

AAP worker Amrinder Singh of village Mishriwala, Naju Shah, of Ferozepur, has been arrested by Punjab Police in a case u/s 66 IT Act, 54 DMA and 153 IPC for circulation of false and misleading posts on social media platforms. Photographs and videos claiming that doctors were removing vital organs of COVID-19 patients had been traced to 31-year-old Amrinder, who was actively operating from Moga.

The posts/videos were exhorting and provoking people not to cooperate with health authorities and spreading false rumours about removal of body organs of dead corona patients by the Health department, thus endangering the health and safety of the citizens of the state. It is learnt that Amrinder Singh is an active worker of AAP and was an aspirant for the MLA ticket from Ferozepur Assembly segment from AAP. He has been actively involved in political activities on behalf of AAP and participates in protests and agitations on behalf of the party.

Meanwhile, Capt. Amarinder Singh has asked DGP Dinkar Gupta to thoroughly investigate the complaint of journalist Taruni Gandhi about being offered money to spread fake videos on the COVID-19 crisis. The Chief Minister has asked the DGP to ensure strict action against all those endangering the lives of Punjab’s people by launching such an atrocious campaign.