JALANDHAR: The Akali Dal (Badal) foresees no hope regarding implementation of the Rajiv Longowal accord, despite an announcement by the Prime Minister, Deve Gowda, expressing his government’s willingness to implement the much publicized accord. Stating this, Surjit Singh Bamala, former Chief Minister and leader of the Akali Dal in the Parliament, said that such promises were often made and thrown to the wind by all the central governments in the past.
The accord was never implemented, Bamala said, who was tightlipped about the SAD severing ties with its poll ally BSP. He. However. Criticized the alliance between the Congress and the BSP and described it as a ‘gimmick’ and tactical of move of the Congress aimed at regaining the lost vote bank of Harijans.
Barnala while hailing the judgment of the Delhi High Court regarding the compensation to the 1984 riot victims of Delhi demanded that all the riot victims in the country should be provided compensation al the same rate of 2.5 lakh plus interest. However, he described the announcement of the Prime Minister, H.D. Deve Gowda, regarding the waiving of loans up to 50,000 of the riot victims as eyewash, as there are only a few people left who have not repaid the loans.
Article extracted from this publication >> July 10, 1996
