CHANDIGARE: The Punjab units of the Communist Party of India the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Akali Dal (L) jointly Reacted the visit of the Cabinet subcommittee on Punjab here saying its deliberations had failed to deliver the goods to solve the Punjab problem.

In a statement issued here after the party leaders reviewed the situation they said the Centre was not prepared to take adequate Steps to solve the problem and the Rajiv Gandhi Government wanted to sue the Punjab problem as an electoral card.

While the Akali Dal (L) had boycotted the subcommittee the BJP later walked out after submitting a memorandum against the statement of the Prime Minister about opposition. The Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh units of the party are known to adopt different stands on the Punjab problem.

The statement said the Prime Minister had failed to fulfill his commitments to hold an all-party meeting to solve the Punjab problem and was rather using delaying tactics. The visit of the subcommittee was only an eyewash and a futile exercise.

They said before any purposeful dialogue could be held the Prime. Minister should withdraw the charge against the opposition dubbing them as supporters of the separatists, helping the assassins of lndira Gandhi and accusing them of destabilizing the country.

They made it crystal clear that the opposition parties were waging a relentless struggle against the anti-national elements and the separatists, and had sacrificed hundreds of leaders and party functionaries for the integrity of the country.

They said the Prime Minister had no time to pay attention to the suffering hardships and killings of innocents in Punjab and was least concerned.

‘The leaders who attended Wednesday’s meeting included Mr. Baldev Parkash, Mr. M.M. Mittai Mr. O.P. Bhardwaj and Mr. Balramji Dass Tandon from the BJP, Mr. Piara Singh Deosi and Mr. Joginder Bhasin secretary and assistant secretary of the CPI and Mr.. Kanwaljit Singh and Mr. Manjit Singh Khaira of Akali Dal (L).

The Punjab Janata Dal president Mr. Kirpal Singh was to meet the subcommittee at 6:00 pm as scheduled but by the time he reached Raj Bhavan at 5:45 pm the committee had left. The Janata Dal said this callous and evasive behavior exposed the committee Of its insincerity towards the sufferings of the people of Punjab.

Article extracted from this publication >>  April 28, 1989