Condemning the ruling Shiromani Akali Dal for its attempts to malign the image of the Border Security Force, Congress Deputy Leader in the Lok Sabha and local MP Capt Amarinder today expressed his solidarity with the BSF personnel saying the Akali protests against the force could not have come at a wrong time as it (the BSF) was currently fighting the Pakistani rangers and army in Jammu and Kashmir and had lost so many lives in the battle.Capt Amarinder announced that he will be holding a solidarity programme in support of the BSF after the Maghi celebrations. He said, to boost the morale of the forces, who are braving all odds, he will be organising a public programme to express solidarity with the BSF and tell them that the country actually cares about them and acknowledges their sacrifices and everybody was not like the Akalis and the BJP who were out to demoralise them and ignore their sacrifices.
Lashing out at the Akalis for trying to malign and demoralise the BSF, Capt Amarinder remarked, “nothing can be more outrageous and shameful than to defame and demoralise our brave men that two at a time when they are giving their lives to defend our borders”. He said, Akalis should feel ashamed for such treacherous act that amounts to betrayal of the forces.The Congress leader also lashed out at the Bhartiya Janata Party for not condemning the Akalis for this treacherous act in categorical and unambiguous terms. He said, BJP by being ambiguous and ambivalent on the issue had virtually approved of Akalis malicious campaign against the BSF.He pointed out, on the one hand the BSF was involved in a bloody battle with Pakistan paying with the life of its men, the Akalis were staging protests against them and that too when it was already doing its job well. “Akalis are trying to shift their own blame on the BSF”, he observed, while adding, “when we should be boosting the morale of our forces, some people were out their to defame and demoralise them”.