WASHINGTON: The resignation of former Prime Minister Narasimha Rao from the leadership of the Congress party found reverberations on Capitol Hill last week. Commenting on the tum of events in New Delhi, Congressman Phil Crane stated, “It looks like Mr. Rao dipped into the well of corruption too many times.” “I am pleased that P.V. Narasimha Rao is finally facing the consequences of his corruption, but it is time that he also faced the consequences of his brutal terror campaign against the Sikh nation,” said Crane. The Illinois Republican alleged that as

Home Minister in 1984, “Mr. Rao was the person who organized the Delhi massacres,” and asked, “When will he be indicted for these crimes?’ The congressman went on to demand an embargo against Indian companies and products.

“In addition to its repression and corruption, India is a country that never misses an opportunity to take a swipe at the United States, Although it is one of the largest recipients of United States aid, India has a virulently anti-American voting record at the United Nations, and it is the country that singlehandedly blocked the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty,” he said. Accusing the Indian government of acting as a “tyrannical regime” against Sikhs, Kashmiris and Nagas, Congressman Crane stated, “It is time for the United states to take a firm stand against these atrocities. We must institute an embargo against Indian companies and products. We must end United States aid to India.” According to him, recent events had shown that “nothing has changed from Mr. Rao’s brutal and corrupt rule,” and that “It is in American’s interest to support the freedom movements in the subcontinent.”

The congressman brought to the attention of the House a report in The Washington Post on Rao’s resignation. Listing Lakhu bhai Pathak’s charge that Rao had cheated him of $100,000 and the allegation that Rao had also received $3.5 million from the Jain brothers, Crane added, “He has apparently received large sums of money from other influence seekers as well.” The Congress party, he pointed out, was providing tacit support to the present Deve Gowda government.

Article extracted from this publication >>  October 9, 1996