Rajiv Gandhi has taken exception to the home minister replying to his letter addressed to the Prime Minister, seeking clarifications on the Punjab problem.
Mr. Gandhi’s second letter to the prime minister released at one A.M. Thursday said “I had written to you this morning (Wednesday) specifically requesting you to clarify your position, as Prime Minister, on the statements made by your deputy prime minister asking. The Indian National Congress not to attend the rally in Ludhiana”.
“Instead of receiving such a clarification from you, we have a reply from the home minister, which, in tone and content matches the offensiveness of the statements of your deputy prime minister. To this has been added the insult of your electronic media broadcasting the news of the home minister’s reply on the 9.30 p.m. bulletin while the letter has been delivered at 10.18 p.m.”, The leader of the opposition said.
Mr. Gandhi told the Prime Minister that the Congress was left with no alternative but to conclude that “your government is not in the least serious about our participation in the Ludhiana rally”.
Pleading with Mr. V.P. Singh “to refrain from empty gestures and to address yourself to the real issues in Punjab”, Mr. Gandhi expressed deep concern at the sharp deterioration that has taken place in the state in the five weeks “since your government assumed office”
Article extracted from this publication >> January 19, 1990
