Chandigarh: Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh has condemned Canada’s NDP leader Jagmeet Singh’s remarks on `self-determination’ for Punjab, saying he was obviously totally disconnected from the ground realities in India, where Sikhs hold a place of pride with their excellent achievements in every field.

Accusing Jagmeet of trying to destabilise Punjab by creating strife with his ill-conceived and confrontational remarks, Captain Amarinder said the Canadian authorities should take serious note of such disruptive elements who were using their soil to spread discord in India.

Jagmeet’s statement that he considers self-determination to be a “basic right” in places such as Punjab, Catalonia or Quebec was clearly designed to spread trouble in Punjab, said Captain Amarinder, asserting that his government would not allow any such attempt to succeed at any cost.

At a time when Punjab was working on a holistic development and revival agenda, Jagmeet was trying to whip up negative passions among the Sikh community, the Chief Minister said, adding that the newly-elected NDP leader would not succeed in his nefarious designs as the people of Punjab wanted peace and stability.

Captain Amarinder expressed a sense of pride at the contribution of the Sikh community worldwide, saying Sikhs were known for their extraordinary accomplishments and for bringing accolades not only to India but to whichever country they were settled in. A handful of destructive elements could not undermine the achievements of the Sikhs, he added.

Pointing out that the Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) had failed to trigger unrest in Punjab through its recent “Khalistan 2020 Referendum”,’ which Jagmeet had echoed with his statement on self-determination, Captain Amarinder said the NDP leader was not likely to succeed either.

The Chief Minister said Jagmeet’s comments against Punjab amounted to anti-India conspiracy and hoped the Canadian government would take due cognizance of the same. He urged Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to ensure that his country’s soil is not used for such treacherous assaults on India’s integrity and security.