M A I N   N E W S

Badal to study militants’ offer to join mainstream
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, April 5
Neither the Central Government nor the Punjab Government is averse to any proposal which strengthens peace and communal harmony, says the Punjab Chief Minister, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, maintaining that his government will consider any proposal from any militant or his organisation offering to join the mainstream.

“For the time being, we do not have any such proposal from anybody . I am sure everybody will welcome it if any militant wants to surrender and join the mainstream. I cannot take a decision on my own. It has to go to the Cabinet and also to the Central Government, depending upon the type of cases and the history of the person concerned,” he said.

Mr Badal said that he was not in a position to say whether the Khalistan Commando Force chief, Wassan Singh Zaffarwal, was in India or not. “I am not definite about his presence in Punjab. Neither has anyone told me nor approached me that he wants to surrender. The police of the state is fully alert.”

The Punjab Chief Minister reiterated that the peace would not be allowed to be disturbed at any cost. He was referring to a question whether the state government had any proposal to declare general amnesty for all militants who had been living outside India and wanted to join the mainstream by denouncing the cult of violence. “The Central Government is also not averse to any proposal that brings about or strengthens peace and communal harmony,” he added.

“So many people come to visit me and take tea or food at my residence,” he quipped while referring to Mr Kanwar Singh Dhami’s assertion at a Press Conference in the morning that he, as chief of the Akal Federation had tea with Mr Badal at his Sector 9 residence way back in 1991-92 when the movement for “Khalistan” was at its peak.

Mr Badal, who is also the President of the Shiromani Akali Dal, said that the Working Committee of the Dal which met here today, had decided to start holding rallies at district headquarters, not only in Punjab but also in Uttaranchal and Rajasthan. The holding of the rallies would start on May 2 at Sriganganagar. The rally schedule would be: May 8 at Rudurpur, May 15 Ferozepore, May 20 Jalandhar, May 27 Hoshiarpur, May 29 Ropar, May 31 Patiala, June 7 Sangrur, June 9 Gurdaspur, June 13 Faridkot, June 20 Nawanshahr, June 23 Moga, June 26 Fatehgarh Sahib, June 30 Mansa, July 2 Ludhiana, July 8 Kapurthala and July 11 Bathinda.

He said that though these rallies were of the Shiromani Akali Dal, the BJP leadership, too, would be invited to join them.

“On April 13 at our rally at Talwandi Sabo, we expect some Central leaders. Mr Madan Lal Khurana has confirmed his participation. Mr Om Prakash Chautala will be away to London at that time. “We have been unable to establish contact with the Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister, Mr Prem Kumar Dhumal,” he said.

Mr Badal said the state government had decided to celebrate the bicentenary of the “coronation” of Maharaja Ranjit Singh this year. “Though the Cabinet has approved Rs 1.5 crore for the year-long celebrations, funds will be no problem.

These will start with a function at Patiala on April 13. The main function will be held at Amritsar on November 13 to coincide with the birth anniversary of Maharaja Ranjit Singh,” he said.

The Prime Minister, he said, was almost certain to join a special function to be organised in New Delhi on April 21 in connection with the bicentenary celebrations. “We are yet to get official confirmation, though all arrangements have been finalised,” he said. The Union Government had already agreed to put up a bronze statue of Maharaja Ranjit Singh on horseback outside Parliament House in New Delhi.