Chandigarh: The Punjab Chief Minister Mr. Sujit Singh Barnala today announced that Chandigarh will be merged with Punjab on January 26th as scheduled. He told newsmen that certain Punjab villages will be transferred to Haryana in lieu of Chandigarh. He refused to mention the location of the villages.
In a related statement Haryana Congress (I) President Mr. Virinder Singh M.P. said here on January 4th that his party will not honor any settlement under the Punjab Accord of July 24th if it went against the interests of the state on the S.Y.L. Canal and territorial issues, He remarked that the reference to the Hindi speaking ‘areas has been clearly defined to the Mathew Commission besides clauses of the accord made specific reference to the Hindi speaking areas awarded by Mrs, Gandhi in the early seventies,
According to newsmen he seems to be confident that Akalis will do nothing to sabotage the accord, Further he said that Akali leaders had assured timely construction of S.Y.L. canal which was a life and death issue with people of Haryana.
Meanwhile according to Dignity, Mr. Arun Nehru has hit back at Barnala for his refusal to release Baba Santa Singh by arresting Prof, Darshan Singh, The arrest of Prof. Darshan Singh in other words is linked up with Mr. Barnala’s refusal to release Baba Santa Singh. Prof. Darshan Singh was arrested by Mr. Bhajan Lal. Baba Santa Singh was arrested by the Patiala Police in connection with an incident involving killing of two persons at Fateh garh Sahib a few days ago.
Article extracted from this publication >> January 10, 1986
