NEW DELHI, India: Punjab Chief Minister, Barnala, is reportedly under heavy pressure from some of his senior party men to resign from the Chief Minister ship in protest against the Centre’s refusal to accept their demands including the implementation of the Punjab Accord. Barnala is said to be yet undecided over the matter but he is feeling perturbed after the press conference of Prime Minister in which the Prime Minister had placed onus of the no implementation of the Punjab Accord on the Punjab government. Barnala supporters told him that Center was bent upon humiliating him and it is high time that he should come out of it. Even last time when Barnala came here to meet the Prime Minister, an important Akali leader had suggested him to act these lines. At that time the Akalis felt that Barnala was not given the time to meet the Prime Minister and he had to return to Chandigarh without having a proper meeting with Rajiv Gandhi.
The Prime Minister’s press conference has totally disappointed the Akalis and now they are convinced that so far Haryana elections are not held the Centre. Would continue with the present policy. The Prime Minister’s interpretation of Venketaramia award on the question of the transfer of territories has confused the Akali Dal further and they feel that with this interpretation they cannot get Chandigarh at all. The Akalis were under the impression that Vanketaramia Commission had awarded 70,000 acres to be transferred to Haryana in lieu of Chandigarh out of which 45,000 acres had been identified.
Article extracted from this publication >> January 30, 1987
