NEW DELHI: The tussle for leadership of the Congress Party intensified further last week with Senior party leader, Mr.K. Karunakaran claiming that the issue was “wide open” and the former Kerala Governor, Mr.P. Shiv Shankar, lending support to his view ‘on one hand, and another CWC member, Mr, Rajesh Pilot, on the other, declaring that no one had the right to discuss the issue right now.
‘Coming as the two statements did, close on the heels of the support extended to Mr.P. V. Narasimha Rao by I minister and 10 chief ministers last ‘week and with less than 48 hours to g0 for the poll results to start trickling in the battle for the party leadership appears to have begun in earnest.
‘Concerned over the challenge posed to Mr. Rao’s leadership, a number of senior leaders, including Mr. Pranab Mukherjee and Mr. Devindra Dwivedi, have launched an all-out effort to drum up support for him.
According to informed sources, Mr.V.C. Shukla has been asked to rush to the Capital to join in these efforts aimed at checkmating the challengers to Mr. Rao’s leadership.
Notwithstanding Mr. Rao’s optimism that he would be able to bring around Mr. Karunakaran to his side over a cup of tea, the latter told newsmen at an informal chat that he was still to be invited for this meeting.
Mr, Karunakaran, besides claiming that the leadership issue was “open,” chose to queer the pitch further by saying that he would appeal to all Congress men, who had left the party, to return to its fold.
He said the party should readmit these members without preconditions since it was time for all Congress workers to join hands and strengthen the party to fight communal and fascist forces.
AMRITSAR: The District Magistrate, Amritsar, Karanbir Singh Sidhu, has ordered a magisterial inquiry into the escape of three prisoners, including a DSP, facing trial for murder of seven members of a family in village Bagga on October 29, 1991.
‘An official spokesman said that S.K. Sabharwal, District Officer for Removal of Grievances, had been asked to conduct the inquiry, Sabharwal, when contacted, said that he would start inquiry after the election process is over.
The two under trials, Balwinder Singh Sahibi and Gurmukh Singh, had escaped from the complex of Sessions Judge Court here after their appearance in court on April 23. According to Parmodh Kumar, SSP, Majitha, under whose jurisdiction village Bagga falls, all members of police party escorting the accused have been placed under suspension. The suspended policemen include ASI Jagir Singh and 11 Head Constables ‘and Constables. It is learnt that all the accused, including the DSP, were brought to court of Sessions Judge G.L. Chopra. After hearing of the case, the accused and the police party allegedly went to a“ahata” and became drunk, Neither the accused nor police party returned to central jail that night, According to a report sent to SSP by jail authorities, they noticed the prisoners missing during counting at 10 pm the same days it is learnt that two prisoners who had freed themselves had surrendered before police authorities on the next day. SSP Majitha said that a case number Section 223 IPC had been registered against guilty policemen at Sadar police station at Amritsar.
It is alleged that DSP Sekhon in connivance with the caucused had killed seven members of a family and murder was attributed to militants. In July 1994, the relatives of deceased had approached Supreme Court which had given investigation to CBI. The accused were arrested on the basis of FIR, registered by CBL.
Article extracted from this publication >>May 8, 1996
