RURA (KANPUR): The Prime Minister Mr Chandra Shekhar fired his first salvo in the coming elections by appealing for support across party lines to a six point plan promising a true federal structure with greater autonomy for the states.
Chandra Shekhar said Tuesday that elections in Punjab and Assam in the east could be held along with the general elections in May.
Addressing a huge public rally here he said elections were a constitutional right of the people.
Launching his Janata Dal (S) party’s poll campaign in Uttar Pradesh Chandra Shekhar lashed out at former premier Rajiv Gandhi’s Congress (IU) party for frittering away crores of foreign loans in wasteful expenditure.
Chandra Shekhar appealed to those behind violence in the states of Punjab Assam and Kashmir to stop and come for negotiations with the government. If violence continues elections cannot be held in these states he added.
He said people had the right to ask the Congress-I for an account of the crores of rupees it had taken in foreign loans over the years. “Where did the money go?” the prime minister asked observing that in rural areas people continued to be deprived of basic facilities He said while children in villages did not have a football or a volleyball crores of national wealth was spent holding the Asian Games in New Delhi. The medals were not won by Indians but “we paid for the games” he said.
Appealing to the people to give support to the Janata Dal (S) to build a new India Chandra Shekhar said they should ensure that the party returned to power in New Delhi and Lucknow with comfortable majority.
The premier addressed two meetings in his first round of campaigning for elections in Uttar Pradesh.
The huge meetings at Pali and Rura were both in Bilhaur parliamentary constituency which in the dissolved Lok Sabha was represented by Arun Kumar Nehnu.
Shekhar defended his government’s decision to seek foreign assistance from Germany Japan and the USA to tide over foreign exchange difficulties.
He did not consider this to be a favor on part of the donor countries “They also need us” he observed.
Chandra Shekhar’s audience comprised largely of rural youth and women.
Article extracted from this publication >> April 12, 1991
