India’s Punjab CM turns down Qureshi’s invitation

Stubborn India continues to escape from peace process as Amarinder Singh, chief minister of India’s Punjab, also declined invitation of Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi to attend groundbreaking ceremony of Kartarpur border crossing.

Singh—who is facing criticism at home over deteriorating peace situation and soaring crime rate—cited ‘killings of Indian soldiers and terror attacks’ as reason to turn down the invitation.

“My reasons for declining your invitation are twofold. Firstly not a day passes when Indian soldiers are not killed or wounded across LoC. Secondly, the ISI has started its nefarious activities within my state”, alleged the CM.

Earlier, Indian Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj also had turned down invitation of his Pakistani counterpart Shah Mehmoom Qureshi to attend groundbreaking ceremony of Kartarpur border crossing.

It would be suffice here to say that at least three people were killed whereas 15 others sustained injuries in a grenade attack at Nirankari Bhawan gurdwara in Amritsar. The Sikh leaders and independent media outlets are pointing fingers at Hindu hardliners, specifically members of RSS, for the attack at religious site.

The attack is also being reviewed as hardliners’ retaliation to killing of a local RSS leader in Amritsar.

Tensions in Indian Punjab continues to rise as RSS—under banner of ruling BJP—is eyeing Sikhs and Punjab as its next target to incite religion-based violence to win general elections 2019.