NEW DELHI: Prime Minster Chandra Shekhar Nov 20 directed Punjab administration to mount relentless Pressure against nationalist Sikhs speed up border fencing and augment the level of the para military forces.
In his first major review of the Punjab situation with state governor Virendra Verma, chief secretary S L Kapoor and director general of police K P’S . Gill, the prime minister suggested that better weapons should be provided to the central forces in the state and the Punjab police.
Principal Secretary to prime minister B G Deshmukh, cabinet secretary Vinod Pande and union home secretary Naresh Chandra Saxena were also present at the one hour meeting.
The home ministry had Nov 19 summoned the senior Punjab administration officials in the wake of the escalation in the violence in the border state.
The meeting took note of the fact that lot of disinformation was being spread in the state to create disaffection against the state as also among different sections of the people, an official spokesman told reporters,
It noted that “trained agents from across the border” had been indulging in violence calculated to create a communal divide in the state. But they had not been successful, it was claimed.
The prime minister told the officials that people have to be cautioned against the activities of these elements. He said highest priority should be given to tone up the civil administration in the state and genuine grievances of the people should be looked into.
Article extracted from this publication >> November 30, 1990
