CHANDIGARH: What is being seen by political observers as a clear hint of blackmail, the outgoing Punjab police chief KP.S. Gill docs not rule out his entering politics “after three months.” In a media interview after his unceremonious ouster by the Indian government, Gill has said that he will spend some time in his hill cottage near Kasauli in Himachal Pradesh and the rest iii Delhi “or wherever any new assignment would take me.” Asked whether he was been sounded by Delhi about an assignment, he has said no feelers have been sent to him, Gill’s statement is significant in several ways. He talks of entering politics after “three months.” In other words, he has given just these three months to the Indian government to take a decision about giving him an assignment the inference is that he will enter politics after the deadline is over. In view of the approaching elections, Gill could possibly think of contesting a Lok Sabha seat or even put up candidates of his liking in Punjab, Obviously, Gill who is banking heavily on Hindus in Punjab who see him as a saviour (from Khalistan), The Congress (I) cannot afford diversion of Hindu votes away from its candidates because the Hindus of Punjab are the party’s main constituency. At the same time, they have a soft comer for Gill for the manner in which he exterminated thousands of Sikh families to weaken the militant movement. Gill’s tongue-in-cheek statement is evidently aimed at putting pressure on the prime minister to either give him a suitable post or face the music in the forthcoming elections in Punjab.
Article extracted from this publication >> January 10, 1996
