CHANDIGARH, India: Mr. Parkash Singh Badal, a former Chief Minister and Mr. Gurcharan Singh Tohra, a former S.G.P.C. Chief, were arrested in Delhi on the morning of August 9 for violating the orders served on them. They were remanded in judicial custody for fourteen days. According to police sources, the order was issued under section 7 of the Punjab Security Act, directing Mr. Parkash Singh Badal and Mr. Gurcharan Singh Thora to leave the Capital in view of the tense situation in the riot affected areas of Delhi and was served on them the same morning. However, the two Akali leaders, tried to re-enter the Capital from the Shangu border, forcing the police to take them into custody for violating the ban orders.

A police spokesman said that Mr. Gurcharan Singh was allowed to enter Delhi when he gave an undertaking that he would go to Rajya Sabha only and not to any other place but it was learnt that he and Mr. Badal were planning to visit the riot affected areas. The senior police officers went to the Punjab Bhawan, where they were staying to request them not to visit the riot affected areas as the situation was still tense there and their visit could only further charge the atmosphere. When they refused to accept the request and insisted on visiting the riot affected areas, they were served an order under section seven to leave the Union territory of Delhi and not to return to any part of the Capital for a period of one month, The news spread about the two leaders being picked up from the Punjab Bhawan, tension. Started building up. The police reinforcement had to be called to ensure the crowd dispersed peacefully. Mr. Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa, General Secretary of the Akali Dal (Badal) two Akali MPs, Mr. Mewa Singh Gill and Charanjit Singh Walia, said that Mr. Parkash Singh and Mr. Gurcharan Singh were speeding to Tilak Nagar to visit the riot affected areas and to present the condolences to the next of kin of those killed in the riots. They had also planned to offer financial assistance to the grieved families, The Akali Dissidents blamed the Punjab government, particularly, its finance minister, Mr. Balwant Singh for masterminding the arrests, Mr. Balwant Singh, it was pointed out was staying in the Punjab Bhawan.

 

Rajiv Calls Vaidya Murder a ‘Heinous Crime’

 

PUNE, India: Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi led India today in mourning for the murdered army chief that planned the bloody 1984 military assault on the Sikhs holiest shrine, the Golden Temple of Amritsar.

 The Killing of retired General Arun Vaidya prompted police to declare a red national alert, while local police conceded:

 That a security lapse allowed gunmen on motorcycles to shoot Vaidya dead and wound his wife.

Vaidya’s funeral with full military honors was scheduled for 5 p.m., in Pune (Poona), a major military town 150 km (100 miles) east of Bombay.

In a statement, Gandhi called the murder a heinous crime and said Vaidya was a gallant and distinguished soldier who served India with devotion.

Gandhi ended a trip to Britain, Mexico and Czechoslovakia with an unscheduled stop in Moscow today when his Air India plane developed engine trouble.

He flew on to New Delhi in a borrowed Soviet airliner and went to his official residence. A plane was standing by to fly him to Pune if he decided to attend the funeral, ago, was shot dead when the gunmen pulled alongside his car and opened fire with automatic weapons.

The 60yearold general, one of India’s most decorated soldiers, had received letters threatening his life for his role in the Golden Temple Assault in which more than 6,000 people were killed.

The Times of India newspaper said security was tightened around Vaidya after a letter from pro-Khalistan elements. Khalistan, The Land of the Pure, is the separate homeland sought by Sikhs in the northern state of Punjab. Pune Police Commissioner B.J. Misar told a press conference that bodyguard accompanying Vaidya did not fire a shot because his feet got caught in the car’s rear seat.

The opposition Lok Dal party described the killing as the biggest failure of the Intelligence Agencies, Shops, schools and offices closed in Pune in protest at Vaidya’s murder, while both houses of the Indian parliament in New Delhi adjourned in memory of the General.

Article extracted from this publication >> August 15, 1986