CHANDIGARH; The Janata Dal government continues to be Confused about its Punjab policy with ministers making contradictory statements,
While Prime Minister V.P Singh told a news conference in Delhi on July 20 that no talks would be held with Punjab or Kashmir militants his deputy SK Sahai said in Chandigarh on July 22 that talks could be held with militants if that could restore peace in Punjab. Similarly, a few days ago the union state minister for home Mufti saved as well as Punjab governor Verma ruled out elections in the state until normalcy was restored. But foreign Minister 1K Gujral reiterated the Center’s commitment to holding the poll before the current tenure of president’s rule ends on Nov 11.
Meanwhile new electoral alliances are being cobbled by the center to defeat militant backed candidates should elections be held in November.
A grand alliance of nonmilitant groups including Akali Da-B and Akali Dal-L is being envisaged as a ‘way out. The union minister of state for home S.K. Sahai talked of the formation of a core group in Punjab to form a national consensus. The core group plan if success full will have BJP, Congress1 CPI CPM, Akali Dals B and among other small groups. Leaders of the two Akali Dals, Badal and Tota Singh held a closed door meeting possibly on the modalities of merging the two groups. Badal and Sukhvinder Singh have been talking of panthic unity against the background of these secret parleys. The Badal group has also claimed it would start a phased agitation to force the center to concede its 10 demands including stoppage of work on the SYL.This is viewed as preparation for elections.
Article extracted from this publication >> July 27, 1990
