CHANDIGARH: The Congress dissidents in Punjab have submitted a memorandum to the Governor, Lt. Gen (retd) B.K.N. Chhibber, demanding. A time bound judicial inquiry into the assassination of the then Chief Minister Beant Singh.

Significantly, for the first time after the dissidents raised their heads, the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee acting president, Mr, Harcharan Singh Hero, sounded a note of warning, ‘with the threat of a disciplinary action t0 the Congressmen harming the interest of the party. Without naming the Chief Minister, Mr, Harcharan Singh Brar, the memorandum pointed out that nobody on earth, especially the man peony h could dismiss the gruesome tray as just a security laps Attributing the assassination to as designs Antinational forces and foreign powers, it maintained more startling facts would come out in case the matter is probed deeply.

The dissidents said it was the moral responsibility of the man in power to place before public, in facts regarding. The conspiracy and other circumstances which led to the tragic assassination of Beant Singh.

Obliquely criticizing Mr. Brar, the dissidents said it is very tragic and painful to observe what no concrete action has been taken so far and maintained the judicial probe would clear all doubts lingering in their minds.

Though the dissidents have been claiming the support of 32 MLAs out of ruling party`s strength of 87, the memorandum was only by 11 legislators. They are Shamsher Singh Dullo, Kashmir Singh Randhawa, Lal Singh, Balmukand Sharma, Surinder Kapoor, Jagmohan Singh Kang, Gulzar Singh, all ministers in the Beant Singh cabinet, Jai Kishan Saini, Baldev Singh Ballamgarh, Surjan Singh Joga and Som Dutt, MLAs.

Interestingly, an unsigned statement circulated in the evening in the name of Saini, one of the signatories, ox tended complete support to the chief minister, who, he said, was elected leader of the arty With the approval ‘of the party high command: After meeting Mr. Brar, Mr. Saini said he was a Committed soldier of the Congress and would follow the directive of the party high command.

The memorandum called upon the governor to release Rs, 7 crore at the earliest to Construct a memorial here in the memory of the assassinated leader.

 

Article extracted from this publication >>  January 31, 1996