CHANDIGARH, India: The Punjab unit of BJP has said that it would oppose tooth and nail any proposal to barter away the country’s unity for the appeasement of Sikh freedom fighters, who are already running a parallel government from the premises of the Golden Temple, Amritsar. Mr. Hit Abhilashi, General Secretary of the State unit of B.J.P. said in a statement, there were sinister indications that the Center was in the process of taking a decision to open dialogue with the Sikh freedom fighters at terms, which are detrimental to the unity of the country. It is not surprising that a hint has come very boldly from General Secretary of C.P.L, Rajeshwer Rao, who is ready to concede a special status to Punjab, apparently under section 370 of the Indian Constitution. Hitting at the C.P.I. for this stand the B.J.P. leader said that the Communists hayed an international stake and were not concerned with the national sentiments which are over whelming against any concessions to be given to the Sikh freedom fighters. C.P.I. he alleged appears to have entered into a secret understanding with the Rajiv Gandhi’s government as it was watching the proposals taking shape in the mind of the Prime Minister. He also alleged that CP.I. Was also behind the government in the same manner when Indra Gandhi was the Prime Minister. Mr. Abhilashi said that his party stood for the innocent people but demanded that the criminals should not be spared.
The B.J.P. leader asked the Government to be ruthless in dealing with the Sikh freedom fighters.
Referring to the Government’s thinking of holding talks with Akal Takht Chief, Bhai Jasbir Singh Khalsa to bargain with him to bring militants on the negotiating table, he called upon the government to learn a lesson from Punjab accord arrived at with the power hungry Akalis.
Article extracted from this publication >> May 6, 1988
