NEW DELHI, India Police for the first time since the coup refused to allow Afghan refugees to hold a rally protesting the communist takeover outside the Soviet Embassy or near Parliament.

Instead, some 300 refugees listened to speeches inside a school hall, shouting “Down with (Indian Prime Minister) Rajiv Gandhi” and slogans against Afghanistan’s Soviet backed government.

Amid signs the Soviet installed. President of Afghanistan has fallen ‘out of favor, the communist regimes official news media for the first time made no mention of him in reports on its National Day celebrations.

In a broadcast monitored in New Delhi, Kabul Radio said Sunday the anniversary celebrations of the April 27, 1978, communist takeover in Afghanistan ‘were marked by military parades and speeches but mentioned no government leaders by name.

President Babrak Karmal, installed by the Soviets in their December 1979 invasion of Afghanistan, normally makes a public speech on National Day. But there ‘was no report of his address.

It was the first time since the invasion that Karmal has not been named in Kabul Radio’s account of National Day celebrations. Karmal also was absent in Soviet television coverage of the ceremonies.

In a related development, the Soviet Communist Party newspaper, Pravada, Sunday noted d satisfaction with the Afghan regime in the past the Soviet media have spoken in glowing terms of the revolution.

“Dissatisfaction with what has been done, sharp criticism of short comings hindering the revolutionary process in Afghanistan was voiced in the decisions of the revolutionary council adopted last autumn in the thesis of the need to broaden the social basis of the revolution,” Pravda said.

The criticism on Afghan’s National Day indicated tension between Moscow and Kabul, Afghanistan’s capital.

Western diplomats said Karmal, who arrived in Moscow three ‘weeks ago for an unofficial visit still may be in the Soviet capital ‘An Afghan diplomat said, “I think that he is in Afghanistan,” but refused further comment.

In other indications that Karma may be in trouble, he was mentioned only once during Soviet press coverage of the national holiday.

Pravda published the text of telegram from Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev to Karmal, but the reply from Kabul was unsigned. In past years, Karmal has signed the message.

‘Afghan Prime Minister Sultan Ali Keshtm and on an official visit to the Soviet Union last week, was given an usually warm reception,

Keshtm and has been named as ‘one of the leading contenders for Karmal’s position.

“The prime minister’s treatment ‘was unusual,” a senior Western diplomat said, “Karmal was not mentioned only in passing and this has generated a lot of speculation about the state of the leadership in general.”

‘Afghan rebel sources said they believe the Soviets plan to replace Karmal.

Gorbachev did not meet with Karmal during the 27th Communist Party Congress in Moscow in February, although lesser dignitaries received Kremlin receptions.

Diplomats said security was tight in Kabul to prevent attempts by Moslem guerrillas to disrupt Sunday’s celebrations, but there ‘were no immediate reports of violence.

‘The guerrilla groups were fighting the Soviet occupation force estimated at 115,000 troops that invaded Afghanistan and replaced the country’s leaders.

Article extracted from this publication >> May 2, 1986