NEW DELHI: The BJP Monday urged the Union Government to ensure the Akalis* participation in the proposed elections otherwise the poll would be a meaningless.
“Talking to newsmen here Mon day, Krishan Lal Sharma, a Vice President of the party, also asked the government not to stand on “false prestige” and draw up the schedule for elections in Punjab in consultation with all parties.
His party, the BUP leader said, was nether afraid of facing the people nor was it running away from elections. But it was convinced that there was no point in sticking to the proposal to hold elections in Punjab before February 15 without creating an atmosphere conducive for a free and fair poll. The government should utilize the time available to it May 11, when the present term of Presidents rule expires, to create conditions in which parties could conduct election campaigns, candidates could contact voters and the electorate could exercise their franchise without fear he said. The elections would be reduced to a farce if these were held in an atmosphere of fear and terror.
The BJP leader said February 15 was not a “sacrosanct date”, The ruling party had gone back on promises on numerous occasions. There was no particular reason why it should stick to that date in spite of the fact that had managed to massacre people by attacking rail passengers. Asked if his party would part in the elections if the government did not agree to his suggestions, Sharma said his party’s commitment to participating in the elections was not dependent on preconditions. The BJP would under no circumstances leave the political field free for militants. Would contest elections and face the situation whatever be the consequences. His early would respond positively if the Congress or the Left parties look the initiative to put up common candidates against secessionists. Butt would not take any initiative to forge a common front in view of its experience during the cancelled elections. The Congress had agreed to put up com Front candidates but “betrayed” other parties midway through the Shona and Madan Lal Khurana, a national secretary of the party, who visited Jargon on behalf of their party to make an on the spot assessment of the situation following he massacre of 52 rail passengers by Indian agents, said In their report, released to the press Monday that no central minister had cared to visit Jagraon after the massacre. Several of them went to Ludhiana just to get “cheap publicity”.
“They urged the Prime Minister to visit Ludhiana and Jagraon to get firsthand information and to console the bereaved families P.V Narasimha Raos visit to these places, they observed, would help restore confidence among the people and raise the morale of the security forces.
The report noted that Governor Surendra Nath had admitted of security lapses which led to the ghastly incident near Jagraon. It, however, regretted that the Governor had not so far fixed responsibility for the lapse and demanded a thorough probe into the entire episode to identify the unity.
The BIP leaders recommended that dusk to dawn patrolling by the Army should be ordered in rural as well as urban areas of the state to instill confidence among the people.
They regretted that there have been inordinate delays in the payment of compensation to next of kin of those killed in militant violence, They urged the government to expedite the payment of compensation and pointed out they had heard complaints that families of those killed in Moga More than a year ago were yet receive compensation.
The report came down heavily on the intelligence network of the State and observed that the intelligence wing had “totally col lapsed”. They demanded immediate streamlining of the intelligence network in Punjab and weeding out of ineffective and corrupt personal in thr intelligence network.
Article extracted from this publication >> January 10, 1992
