NEW DELHI: The Union government seems to have got caught in an unenviable situation as intelligence agencies have come up with conclusive evidence of US involvement in the recent developments relating to Akali politics in Punjab.

Sources said that a number of US officials have not only been maintaining regular contacts with the Akali leaders particularly those who raise a noise over human rights violation and advocate separatism but also availing of Akali leaders’ hospitality.

It is learned that certain US officials who were in touch with Mr. Simranjit Singh Mann had stayed at the latter’s residence in Himachal Pradesh. Suspicious of the presence of the US officials at Mann’s house the state authorities are reported to have carried out a search and seized a lot of documents.

Subsequently the state authorities are reported to have detained one US official and escorted him back to the Capital. Later the intelligence agencies recommended the deportation of the concemed official.

Admitting that the government was non-pulsed over how to tackle the situation a senior government official explained that deporting an American diplomat was not an easy task as it is fraught with far reaching implications. The task has become much more difficult as the Prime Minister P.V.Narasimha Rao is scheduled to visit the US later this fortnight.

As the government does not wish to precipitate a crisis it has refrained from acting on the issue. The government is still considering whether it would be appropriate to lake up the matter with the US authorities

Sources said that US officials have resorted to heightening their activities in the border state in order to justify the US President Mc. Bill Clinton’s stand that human rights conditions in Punjab were similar to those in Somalia. They gave a lot of importance to the coincidence of the Akali unity taking shape on the eve of Rao’s departure to Washington.

Meanwhile a lady political counselor in the US embassy left for Punjab by road last week she met with the chief minister afterwards she proceeded to Amritsar. It is said that the lady was present in Amritsar on May 6 when Mr. Prakash Singh Badal was expected to present himself before the Akal Takht.

From Amritsar the lady US political counselor is scheduled to leave for Pakistan.

Article extracted from this publication >> May 13, 1994