Amid increased security threat ahead of I-Day, Punjab seeks CAPF companies, anti-drone gadgets for BSF

Chandigarh (Punjab) [India], August 11 : Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh met Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday to seek 25 companies of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) and anti-drone gadgets for Border Security Force (BSF) for protection from Pakistan-backed terror forces.
Taking to Twitter, Media Advisor to Punjab Chief Minister Raveen Thukral said, "Amid increased security threat ahead of Independence Day and Assembly polls, CM Captain Amarinder Singh meets Amit Shah to seek 25 companies of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) and anti-drone gadgets for BSF for protection from Pakistan-backed terror forces. Warns of drone/terror activity escalation."
This information pours in after a high alert was sounded in Punjab on Monday after police recovered a tiffin box fabricated into an improvised explosive device (IED) from a village in Amritsar, which they suspect was part of a consignment dropped by a drone from Pakistan.
"Yesterday evening, we made some recoveries from Daleke village of Amritsar. Five hand grenades, 100 rounds of 9mm pistol and a tiffin box were recovered from a suspicious bag reported earlier in the day," said Dinkar Gupta, Director General of Police (DGP), Punjab.
Gupta had informed that the police later received some inputs about a suspicious bag found in the Daleke and found seven foamed packages inside the bag upon investigation.
"The most dangerous content of the bag was the tiffin box that had an IED. It was a highly sophisticated bomb. We secured it in a pit for the fear it might explode and immediately called National Security Guard (NSG) who arrived later in the night," said Gupta.
Yesterday, citing social, economic, and security implications of the prolonged farmers' agitation, Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh pressed Union Home Minister Amit Shah for the immediate repeal of the new farm laws, adding that the laws had "caused great resentment amongst farmers from Punjab and other states".
Expressing concern over the fear of inimical powers from across the border trying to exploit the resentment and disgruntlement against the government, the Chief Minister sought an enduring and expeditious solution to the farmers' concerns.
The Chief Minister said protests have been going on in Punjab ever since the Union Government issued the ordinances in June 2020.
"While these protests have so far been largely peaceful, one can sense rising tempers, especially as the state moves towards elections in early 2022," he said.
According to a Punjab government release, the Chief Minister said that the prolonged agitation is not only impacting economic activities in Punjab but also has the potential to affect its social fabric, especially when political parties and groups take strong positions.
The Chief Minister's Office informed that Singh cited inputs from central and state agencies and told Shah that prominent farmer leaders (specific inputs on 5 such leaders were received but they had refused to take security), Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) offices, RSS/BJP/Shiv Sena leaders based in Punjab as well as trains, buses and temples are the potential targets for terror forces.