CHANDIGARH: The Babbar Akali Dal which has given the call for poll boycott in Punjab on Thursday described the killings of Assembly and Lok Sabha candidates in the state as unfortunate and said the party was not behind such actions.

Addressing a news conference here the Babbar Akali Dal convenor Mr Kartar Singh expressed apprehension that the police the bureaucracy and some groups with vested interests might be involved in these actions.

Mr Kartar Singh held state terrorism responsible in the state and said the action of militants was a reaction to He called upon the government to put a cad to the killings for peace to return to the troubled state.

Commenting on the assassination of the former prime minister Mr Rajiv Gandhi Mr Kartar Singh said one should not be happy at the death of even one’s enemy but Mr Gandhi became a victim of his own policies as these were not proper.

He lashed out at Akali factions saying they were after power without caring for the people. He said the division in Akali ranks was not in the interest of anyone. Mr Kartar Singh agreed with the views of Babbar Khalsa International that the relatives of the families of the militants should not participate in the elections. He was of the opinion of that Mr Gurbachan Singh Manochahal should not support the All India Sikh Students Federation (Manjit) president Mr Manjit Singh in the elections

Mr Kartar Singh released a letter he had written to Akali Dal (Mann) president Simranjit Singh Mann denying that the Babbar Akali Dal had demanded 40 Assembly seats. Mr Kartar Singh said a representative of Mr Mann had approached him for electoral adjustment but he was apprised about his decision to boycott elections and as such there was no question of any electoral adjustment. He called upon Mr Mann to clarify his position on this and other issues referred to in the letter.

The letter also held Mr Manjit Singh responsible for infanticide and said such a person was not eligible to remain in the fold of Sikhism. The letter painted Mr Manjit Singh as a power-hungary politician who had gone astray from the path shown by Sant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale.

Article extracted from this publication >> June 7, 1991