Kartarpur corridor dangerous move: Swamy

Dubbing the construction of Kartarpur corridor as a "dangerous move," senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Subramanian Swamy on Monday said that the people from Pakistan should not be allowed to come to India through this passage.

Speaking to ANI, Swamy said that the Central government's decision can be misused as there is no proper checking procedure at the corridor and thus anyone can get a fake passport for Rs 250 in Chandni Chowk and come to India.

"Kartarpur corridor is a dangerous move. It can be misused as there is no proper checking procedure, just showing passport is not enough. You can get a passport in Chandni Chowk for Rs 250. People should register six months in advance, and we should not allow people from Pakistan to come here," he added.

On Sunday also Swamy had backed Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh's decision to decline the invitation to attend the foundation-laying ceremony of Kartarpur corridor on Pakistan side. "No Indian minister should go to the other side of the border until Pakistan stops cross-border terrorism," he said.

"I don't think any Indian minister should go to attend any kind of event in Pakistan. They are also preventing our diplomats from accompanying the people to religious places. Until Pakistan stops sponsoring cross-border terrorism, we should not allow anyone to go there for any kind of event," Swamy had added.

The Punjab Chief Minister declined the invitation for the ceremony to be held on November 28, citing terror attacks in his state and the relentless killing of Indian troops on the Line of Control (LoC).

The Indian government on the eve of Guru Nanak Guru Purab, on November 22 approved the building and development of Kartarpur corridor from Dera Baba Nanak in Gurdaspur district to India-Pakistan International Border. Following this, the Pakistan government announced to open the corridor next year.

The Kartarpur route along the India-Pakistan border is three kilometers away from Gurdaspur, Punjab. If opened, it would allow Sikh pilgrims a direct access to the historic Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur, Pakistan, where Guru Nanak died in 1539.