NEW DELHI: Former Pome Minister V.P. Singh today said that he faced more threats form Congressmen than militants during 19851987 when he had differences with the party leadership. Deposing before the Jain commission, Singh said there were several incidents in which Congressmen attacked him when he was going around the country. He also narrated a few incidents to prove his point. “It was generally believed and I also believe that these incidents were by Congress workers and not militants”, the former premier said when asked whether he faced any personal threat to his life from militants. Stating he had faced threats even before he became the Prime Minister, he said that there were three states of threats to his life.

While as Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh he had faced threats from dacoits, as Union Finance Minister he faced threats on account of financial interests and the underworld, he said, After demitting office as Defence Minister, he was told by intelligence agencies that a group of Sikh militants was after him but he did not take it seriously, he said. Most part of the proceedings was confined to the arguments between D.D. Thakur.

counsel for Singh and R.N, Mittal, AICC counsel, on a question, whether the AICC was entitled to inspect certain documents filed by the Central government, Describing the commission’s earlier permission to the AICC to inspect the documents as “unprecedented”.

Thakur said the commission’s decision to allow the AICC to first make a roving inquiry into the records while denying access to a notice under 8B was a highly discriminatory action.

Pleading for the withdrawal of permission granted to the AICC, Thakur said the AICC wanted to malign some people and the commission should not be converted into a political forum. Stating that Congress leaders Ahmed Patel and present Lt. Governor of Pondicherry Rajendra Kumari Bajpai, had leveled certain allegations against Singh and neither of them had been examined but only interrogations sent, Thakur said there should be some basis for making all these allegations. Asserting his claim for inspection, Mittal alleged that it was the “personal vendetta” of the witness (Singh) which resulted in the withdrawal of the Special Protection Group (SPG) which made Rajiv Gandhi vulnerable.

Article extracted from this publication >>  October 23, 1996