BATHINDA: Countering Border Security Force’s claims of not issuing any order for evacuating villages alongside Indo-Pak border in Punjab, chief minister Parkash Singh Badal said the orders were issued on the directions of union home ministry. The BSF comes under the administrative control of home ministry.The evacuation orders were passed on the call of union home minister Rajnath Singh,” said Badal here on Friday.

“I am not a kid that I would issue such orders at my own level,’’ Badal said on the sidelines of seminar to commemorate 125th birth anniversary of Dr BR Ambedkar. The seminar was jointly organised by Punjab government and Maharaja Ranjit Singh State Technical University

He said normalcy was returning as people have started moving back to their respective villages.

On October 5, BSF director general KK Sharma said the BSF has not issued any order for vacating villages in the border belt of Punjab and added civil administration might have issued it.

On being asked that why evacuation was ordered only in Punjab villages, Badal said, “The villages situated along Indo-Pak border in Punjab are thickly populated, while there is desert and thin populace along border in Rajasthan and Gujarat,” Badal said.

On Congress and Aam Aadmi party slamming SAD-BJP alliance for issuing such orders, Badal said the leaders of opposition parties were unnecessarily politicising the issue. CENTRE FOR WEAKER SECTIONS ANNOUNCED

Badal announced to set up a centre for imparting coaching to the aspirants from weaker sections in Bathinda. He also announced a scholarship of Rs 5 lakh for every aspirant pursuing his Ph.D on life and philosophy of Ambedkar.