"No need to panic in Amritsar": Congress' Gurjeet Singh Aujla amid airport closure

Amritsar (Punjab) [India], May 8 (ANI): As tensions rise between India and Pakistan following the launch of Operation Sindoor, Congress MP Gurjeet Singh Aujla on Thursday morning said that Amritsar airport will remain closed until May 10. He appealed to the people in Amritsar Lok Sabha constituency that there was no need to panic, as the Indian Army stands tall to face this situation.
"The airport has been closed till May 10 because of the mock drills, and for the Air Force. There's no need to panic in Amritsar. We reached here from Delhi this morning, and we have been telling people not to panic and maintain peace. Our army is standing tall to face this situation," Aujla told ANI.
He advised people to remain calm and not hoard rations. He also suggested that people refrain from sharing unauthenticated information on social media.
"If there's a mock drill, don't come to the conclusion that there's an attack. This will go on. Don't hoard ration. Some are taking advantage of the problem and selling rations at a higher price. We will get out of this situation. Don't share things on social media which are not authentic," Aujla added.
As India launched precision strikes, destroying terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), the government has given directions to shut down key airports in north India, including Amritsar airport.
On Wednesday, the Amritsar district administration resumed blackout measures to ensure public safety and preparedness, the District Public Relations Officer (DPRO) said.
"Taking utmost caution, the Amritsar district administration has again started the blackout process. Please stay at home, do not panic and do not gather outside your houses; keep the outside lights switched off," the Amritsar DPRO said in a statement.
The blackout in Amritsar was part of a nationwide civil defence mock drill ordered by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to check emergency preparedness in case of future threats. The exercise involved scheduled blackouts at key locations across the country.
The nationwide preparedness drill came after the Indian Armed Forces launched Operation Sindoor early on Wednesday. This was a retaliatory strike on terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK), in response to the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, in which 26 civilians, including one Nepali national, were killed. (ANI)