CHANDIGARH: Despite repeated assurances by the Chief Minister of Punjab, Surjit Singh Barnala, that police will not be allowed to enter the Golden Temple premises, the Temple premises were searched on the night of October 25th and 26th. This has happened for the second time since the formation of the Akali ministry. The police searched ‘sarais’ and the rooms adjacent to the ‘Parkarma’. Earlier only a day before the Chief Minister and his Cabinet Colleagues visited the Golden Temple after assuming office, the police had searched rooms in ‘Sarai’s’, According to police sources, the search was undertaken in view of the Bhog ceremony on October 31 in memory of S. Beant Singh, the alleged killer of Indira Gandhi. The function is being organised by the All India Sikh Students Federation. The police suspected that some underground Federation leaders would be in the complex. But none of them was found there by the police.
Meanwhile the committee constituted by the Punjab government under the Chairmanship of a former judge of Punjab and Haryana High Court, Justice Ajit Singh Bains, has recommended the release of 2,000 Sikh young men who are currently lodged in different jails. After considering this recommendation, the State government has ordered the release of 309 young Sikhs. The remaining recommendations are being examined.
The central government has also decided to constitute a committee to review the cases of 379 young Sikhs lodged in Jodhpur jail. Akali government’s demand that a nominee of Akalis should also be included in this committee has not been accepted. However Dr. Gopal Singh Dardi has been appointed as Sikh representative on the committee.
Article extracted from this publication >> November 2, 1990
