BATINDA, Punjab, India: The Central government is not thinking of holding fresh elections in Punjab, the Union Petroleum Minister, Mr. Brahm Dutt said while addressing a Congress (1) workers meeting here on January 20. He said the Center could not solve the Punjab problem unilaterally as Punjab and Haryana should fulfill their roles and create conditions for a solution. Only people of Punjab and Haryana could solve the Punjab tangle and said that Center would welcome democratic process in Punjab and he endorsed Mr. Umranangal’s proposal that Akalis and Congress (I) should work together to end violence. In reply to question, the Minister said that if the situation in Punjab did not improve and if the killings continued, the army could be deployed. He lashed out at the U.A.D. for encouraging militants. He was accompanied by former Punjab Minister, Rajinder Kaur Bhattal.
Article extracted from this publication >> January 29, 1988
