CALCUTTA: Chandrasekhar said that his views on the Punjab problem was known, but as a government I should like to know the views of others.
“This is a game of reciprocity: it can’t be one sided. Unless and until I know the response from the other side, I am not just going to make hypocritical statements here” he told the “the Telegraph” in an interview.
Asked about the guilty of the 1984 riots, the prime minister said, “J don’t know why the guilty people should not be punished. Any person who is guilty of crime should be brought before the court of law.”
“But unfortunately, for the last two three years, or more, a psychology has been created as if crime investigation is the job of the prime minister. I think it is the job of a police sub inspector. So I am not (going to) reduce myself to that level. But no police officer will be stopped by the government from taking legal and proper action against anybody, howsoever, important he may be,”
Chandrashekhar said that it had been “his firm conviction” that should Mr V.P. Singh become the prime minister “he will be a disaster.”
He said that it was from the very day Mr Singh wanted to join the Janata Dal, “when the Janata Dal was being formed, and I had said that please do not do this. I had all along told my colleagues so my feeling has not changed. My feeling remains the same.”
The prime minister said that he, however, did not want to create any problem for Mr Singh “because he was elected leader of the Janata Dal and he formed the government.
And till the day The BJP withdrew support, I did not say a word. I have not created any problem for Mr V.P. Singh’s government.
Article extracted from this publication >> November 16, 1990
