CHANDIGARH: The Punjab government has decided to order judicial inquiry into the assassination of the then Chief Minister, Beant. Singh, in a bomb blast on August 31 last. Disclosing this here last week in an interview, the Chief Minister, Harcharan Singh Brar, said the orders to this effect would be issued after the completion of the investigations by the Central Bureau of Investigation. The judicial inquiry has been delayed to avoid overlapping in the investigations by the security agencies.
The terms of reference of the inquiry is likely to cover various aspects of the gruesome killing including the failure at various levels and the deeper conspiracy. The CBI has been mainly investigating into the crime aspect of the case, The state government has been going slow about the action to be taken for security lapses in the absence of such an inquiry. Similar inquiry was also ordered after the assassination of the Akali Dal president, Sant Harchand Singh Longowal. The police administration was under the consideration of the state government but it would not be hurried through. Though he refused to dis close the action plan, highly placed sources maintained the effort was not to have any demoralizing effect on the force. A number of cases against police officials pertaining to h man rights violations are pending various courts, the latest Supreme Court verdict, against the Director General of Police, K.P.S. Gill in the Rupan Deol Bajaj case has added new. However, he was not canceling of the functioning of the police the first priority with the present leadership is to streamline the civil administration. The state government has already requisitioned the services ‘of some senior IAS officers presently on deputation with the Center.
Regarding the president ship of Be Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee, Brar said it was for the Prime Minister, P.V. Narasimha Rao, to take the decision. Beant Singh held the twin offices of the Chief Minister and the PPCC president in view of the special situation in the state, There Is not much change in the situation that context. Any change in the arrangement is unlikely to help the ruling party in the state in view of forthcoming Lok Sabha elections. Party sources maintain that this is not the opportune time to implement the principle of one man one post. Harcharan Singh Hero functioned as the working president with Beant Singh and that arrangement continues. The party men at various levels have already extended unqualified support to Brar on the issue of PPCC president ship, The Chief Minister said his government would come out with a policy ‘statement covering aspects concerning the state, It might include the view ‘of the present regime on the river water and territorial issues, it is learnt. He has been taking a categorical stand on the river water issue as for Punjab, it is mainly an economic issue.
Article extracted from this publication >> October 20, 1995
