CHANDIGARH: The Akali Dal (Mann) said in a statement on Monday that the government at the center was desperate to establish its majority. The party spokesman Mr Harindesjit Singh Said that the Punjab problem was Political in nature and could be solved only politically.
He said that in case of rigging of the election on Wednesday, the presiding officers should report in writing. According to him, it was ‘not possible to hold free and fair elections after the deployment of the army and paramilitary forces in the state, He wanted the Punjabis to pray against the state repression instead of responding to the poll,
‘The SGCP president .Mr. G.S. Tohra, asked in a statement released here by the All India Youth Akali Dal secretary, Mr Jarnail ‘Singh Panjoli that if Pakistan was ‘behind the poll boycott by the Se ‘Akalis who was behind the Simi Boycott by the Congress (I) last Year? Had the Akalis been agents Of Pakistan, they would not have migrated to India leaving their shrines and property after Patton, He decried the propaganda by the Government media against the Akalis He said that the Akalis were the ‘real claimants to Punjab and they ‘were being arrested. The people WEE also being cowed down by the security forces. He criticized the Akali Dal (Badal) by joining the elections and warned the ‘government against rigging of the Poll. Another Akali Dal (Mann) leader, Mr Narinder Singh Pawar, also condemned the at least of the ‘Akali leaders and said that the real ‘motive behind the poll was to give the maximum number of Lok Sabha seats to the Congress (I) from Punjab.
Article extracted from this publication >> February 28, 1992
