Journalist: Mr. Ambassador, Canadian Foreign Minister, Mr, Joe Clark has stated that he wrote a secret letter to the immigration department to reject a refugee claim by Santokh Singh Dharam (Bagga) under “strong and repeated pressure” from the Indian government.
Ambassador: That’s right.
Journalist: But Indian High Commissioner, Mr. S.J.S. Chhatwal contradicted Mr, Clark’s statement and insisted that the Indian government “has never sought the extradition of Santokh Singh Bagga”.
Ambassador. Very correct.
Journalist: Who out of the two, do you think, is lying? Ambassador. Not in national interest to disclose.
Journalist: Mr. Ambassador, twenty five Muslims have been massacred by the Hindu mobs in Aurangabad riots in Maharashtra State of India.
Ambassador: That’s right.
Journalist: The mobs led by Shiv Sena activists reportedly went on the killing spree shouting “India for Hindus”. Ambassador; Very correct.
Journalist: how is it no action is ever taken against the murderous Hindu mobs while the security forces don’t hesitate to shoot down the Sikhs and the Muslims at the slightest pretext?
Ambassador, Not in national interest to disclose.
Journalist: Mr. Ambassador, Congress (I) has put up late Prime Minister, Lal Bahadur Shastri’s son to contest against Mr. V.P. Singh from the Allahabad Parliamentary constituency.
Ambassador: That’s right.
Journalist: But Amitabh Bachchan’s fans were lobbying very hard to secure Congress (I) nomination for him.
Ambassador. Very correct.
Journalist: Don’t you think Rajiv Gandhi preferred Shastri to Amitabh to keep bribes and kickbacks in gun deal’s scandal out of public focus?
Ambassador: Not in national interest to disclose.
Article extracted from this publication >> May 27, 1988
