NEW DELHI: The Center is understood to have told the BJP leaders that though it would provide all possible protection to the participants of the Ekta Yatra responsibility for any untoward incidents in the troubled states of Punjab and J&K would been entirely on them
Senior government leaders had made this clear no the BIP leaders who had recently raised the issue The BIP leaders were clearly told that the government at no time had any intention to ban the yatra.
The Center is also keen on providing all possible protection to the yatra. However the BJP leaders were also told of the limitations under which the law and order agencies functioned in the two trouble torn states. The government had sought the cooperation of BJP leaders not to put more strain on the law and order arrangement. Therefore it was suggested to them to take only a manageable group of a dozen workers to the two trouble states.
The law and order agencies are confident of giving sufficient protection to such a manageable group given in Srinagar areas. But if the crowds swell and provocative slogans are raised things might set out of control.
Under such a situation all responsibility or any untoward incidents would rest with the BIP leaders themselves. According to official sources after the army operations situation had considerably improved in the two states and entry of the BIP yatra would only worsen the situation the BJP was told.
Sources also made it clear that there would not be any further postponement of the Punjab polls. Even the BJP had recently demanded the postponement of elections by a few weeks However the government’s view is that any further postponement would affect its credibility.
Article extracted from this publication >> January 24, 1992
