CHANDIGARH, India: Gunmen killed a Communist Party of India Marxists leader Baldev Singh Mann and two others. The police nabbed ten freedom fighters including two framed in the killing of CP. (M) leader Darshan Singh Canadian. Mr. Mann who belonged to Chandera Tula Reddi group of Naxalite and was the General Secretary of the party’s Amritsar unit ‘was gunned down in China village under Ajnala police station when he was returning home.
Four gunmen moving on scoters and motor cycles way laid the lest leader and opened fire killing him on the spot. His brother who was seriously injured has been removed to a hospital in ‘Ajnala, Mr. Mann had twice unsuccessfully contested the Punjab Vidhan Sabha election from Rajia Satsi Constituency. The police aye started investigations. The Punjab Chief Minister, Mr. Surjit Singh Barnala condemned the killing Of Mt. Mann and assured that the culprits will soon be brought to justice.
Mr. Barnala claimed in an another statement success in taking the state towards normalcy. Talking to newsmen at Chandigarh on the eve of completion of his one year governance, he said that Punjab was basically a political problem and his government has not ignored the law and order and was successful on both fronts, He said that efforts to create an atmosphere of peace were fructifying and were resulting in increasing investment in the industry and trade in the state, He said that the sales tax collections have gone up and sofas the insurance business achievement of the government, Mr. Barpala said that the state was able to retain Fazilka and Abohar area though it did not succeed in getting Chandigarh to Punjab. The second Achievement was that his government was able to stall the Central proposal on Security Belt, He said that his government had taken a firm stand that the Security Belt ‘was not in the interest of either the ‘state or the country.
Article extracted from this publication >> October 3, 1986
