BHUBANESWAR: The Bharatiya Janata Party has urged the Union government not to enter into any dialogue with the militants in Punjab before their activities had been fully curbed in the State.
‘The party general secretary Mr. J. P. Mathur told a news conference here on Friday that the Prime Minister, Mr. Rajiv Gandhi who had recently stated his intention to hold talks with the opposition on Punjab should “disclose his approach to the problem before the proposed meeting.”
Expressing distress over the recent killing of the Punjab state unit president of BJP Mr. Hit Abhilashi by gunmen, Mr. Mathur said the incident had “falsified the government claim that the ultras are on the run.”
He also alleged that Mr. Abhilashi was not provided with adequate security.
Mr. Mathur said that no special status analogous to that of Jammu and Kashmir under article 370 should be conceded to Punjab.
Asked if the BJP would hold discussions with the Prime Minister if invited to the proposed meeting, he said, “We will decide on that after receiving the invitation.”
Article extracted from this publication >> October 7, 1988
