NEW DELHI: The center will not be vindictive towards non Congress (I) ruled state govt’s nor will it seek to transfer governors wholesale the new home (interior) minister S B Chavan said on Monday.
I believe governors have to play a pivotal role and they must have very cordial relations with the state govt’s. They should not act like politicians Chavan told the Press Trust of India in an interview.
Chavan however did not rule out the transfer of some governors who according to him were creating problems.
Asked if the center would dismiss non Congress (I) ruled states where people had given their mandate in favor of the Congress (1) in the Lok Sabha elections he said our approach is not to be vindictive in this regard.
Chavan who was earlier held the home portfolio said a number of new factors had come into the scenario since he left the ministry.
Admitting that the problems facing the country were gigantic he said if approached properly I do not think why we should not succeed in resolving the issues.
Asked if the govt was considering scrapping elections in Punjab Chavan said if any action is taken it will be done only in the national interest. The Congress (I) had boycotted elections in Punjab for good reasons he said.
He said no decision had been taken by the new govt to request the election commission to advance the holding of polls in the troubled border state where elections are now scheduled for Sept 25. However he said it depended on what emerged after the assessment of the situation in Punjab.
Asked about a govt initiative on the Kashmir situation Chavan said we have to separate citizens from the militants.
He said the govt would encourage political activity in the northern state but would not the militants.
He said the govt would encourage political activity in the northern state but would not allow militants to carry on with killings and subversion.
The minister felt that the kind of infiltration taking place from across the border in Kashmir called for efforts at the diplomatic Level with Pakistan as well as measures within the country. The center was considering all the aspects especially in view of the large-scale border crossing he said
New Delhi was all for having cordial relations with all its neighbors he said. In this context he recalled the as assurances given by the Pakistani prime minister Nawab Sharif when he visited India to attend the funeral of Rajiv Gandhi.
According to the minister Pakistan had also expressed its desire to lessen tension between the two countries.
Asked about the steps the new govt proposed to take to reduce tension created by the Ram Jamna Bhoomi issue Chavan said now the elections were over there would be a change in the attitude of political parties.
All political parties should take the pledge not to exploit religion ends ultimately all will agree that it is dangerous to subscribe to any view which can divide the society he said.
Asked how the temple-mosque dispute could be resolved the minister felt that the BJP govt in Uttar Pradesh had to initiate steps in this regard. He hoped that it would relies the realities of the situation and not creates unnecessary conflicts.
Article extracted from this publication >> June 28, 1991
