NEW DELHI: Indian Prime Minister P V Narasihma Rao has said the Rajiv Longowal accord, signed between Rajiv Gandhi and former Akali Chief Harchand Singh Longowal in 1985, was still a relevant and sound documentary and could provide the basis for tackling the Punjab problem.
In an interview to a Hindi weekly “Saptahik Hindustan”, the Indian Premier said this accord could be the basis for talks with the new Punjab government after elections in the stat.
Rao said that though the time was not ripe to implement the Rajiv Longowal accord in totality, “no one has yet come with a more viable alternative to the accord.
Rao said he was in favor of the construction of a temple at Ayodhya ion the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh provided a 16th century mosque that stands at a disputed site there, which is claimed by both the Hindu and Muslim community is not demolished. He said “Operation Rhino” launched with the assistance of the army to flush out “United Liberation Front of Assam” militants in Assam was a success and the Assamese were feeling more secure since it began. There was no other option left with the government after the insurgent ULFA stepped up their activities, he said also claimed that prices of commodities mentioned in the Congress I manifesto had not increased. A slight increase in food grains may have come down once the new crop reached the market, he said.
Article extracted from this publication >> October 4, 1991
