MUZAFFARPUR: The Congress (I) president Mr Rajiv Gandhi recently cautioned the Chandra Shekhar Government against the large-scale release of Punjab militants as it would “further worsen” the situation in the state.
Addressing a series of election meetings in north Bihar the former Prime Minister accused the Centre of having made a secret deal with Punjab militants under which thousands of militants including 1500 hardcore ones might be released by May 28.
Campaigning for the Congress (I) candidates in Gopalganj Muzaffarpur Darbhanga and Saharsa Mr Gandhi said the present government wanted to surrender Punjab to the Khalistan protagonists based in Pakistan. Mr Gandhi said the people gave a chance to the National Front in 1989 to form the government at the center but it betrayed the mandate.
Expressing concern over communalism Mr Gandhi said the BJP was systematically undermining the atmosphere of “sarva dharma sambhav”. The Congress (I) had never compromised with the Jan Sangh or the BJP unlike some other parties.
The Janata Dal which depended on the BJP support till a few months ago could hardly dare take up cudgels against it.
The Congress (I) was the only party without communal leanings. It represented secular and progressive forces while the BJP stood for parochial and obscurantist forces.
Mr Gandhi claimed his party was the first to realize the need for reservation for the backward classes and said he wanted it on the basis of class and not caste. There should be an income ceiling for the beneficiaries of reservation so that the most backward persons got preference over others.
The former Prime Minister said a sizeable section of the minorities who were socially and economically backward also deserved reservation.
Article extracted from this publication >> May 17, 1991
