‘Journalist. Mr. Ambassador, most of the U.S. Congressmen who criticized the Indian government for its policy of repression against Sikhs charged that Punjab was practically under Martial Taw and foreign journalists were not permitted to go there.
Ambassador. That’s right,
‘Journalist Indian diplomats in New York and San Francisco, however, are trying to refute their charge by saying that the foreign journalists were free to go there and cite datelines of Punjab cities in News Agency Reports as evidence to support their claim.
Ambassador: Very correct.
Journalist: How is it reports by News agencies like Reuters and ‘AP. are invariably datelined from New Dell ‘Ambassador: Not in national interest to disclose.
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Journalist: Mr. Ambassador, Swedish sources have confirmed that bribes were paid to the middlemen in the 1.3 Billion arms deal with Bofors.
Ambassador: That’s right.
Journalist Circumstantial evidence shows that involvement of ‘Ajitabh Bachhan in this scandal could not be ruled out. Ambassador: Very correct.
Journalist: How is it his passport is not be impounded? Could it be Ajitbh was only acting on behalf of Rajiv Gandhi? ‘Ambassador: Not in national interest to disclose.
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Journalist: Mr, Ambassador, Punjab police chief, J.F. Ribeiro has ina statement, claimed that there was no truth in the charge of fake encounters.
Ambassador: That’s right.
Journalist: He made the claim on the basis that no such case had been reported to him.
Ambassador: Very correct.
Journalist: What logic is there in reporting a case of murder to the murderer himself? Don’t you think only a naive person will ‘commit such a folly?
Ambassador. Not in national interest to disclose.
Article extracted from this publication >> September 4, 1987
