M A I N   N E W S

Mischief-makers identified: CM
Varinder Singh
Tribune News Service

Jalandhar June 7
The Punjab Chief Minister said today that the problem in Talhan village was  the outcome of mischief of certain “outsiders” who had been “identified.”

Describing the developments in Talhan and Buta Mandi as “very unfortunate”,  Capt Amarinder Singh today asserted that casteist politics would not be allowed to grow at any cost and the “trouble-makers” would not be spared by the state government. He said there was no history of caste-based clashes in Punjab and the incident at Talhan, which resulted in the violence in Jalandhar and surrounding areas, was the outcome of mischief of certain “trouble makers from outside.” “We had identified them on the very first day, but I cannot reveal their names till the completion of the ongoing judicial probe into the matter,” said the Chief Minister adding that strict action would be taken against them once the probe was completed.

Asked whether the state government was planning registration of a case against the police officials responsible for the firing in Buta Mandi on Thursday night, the Chief Minister, maintained that anybody found guilty after the probe would be dealt with sternly and as per law. In reply to a question about the failure of the administration and police in assessing the brewing tension, the Chief Minister defended the police and the administration by saying that the officials were doing their job and only 50 police personnel were deployed at the Pir Bibi Fateh Shah’s “Mazaar” in Talhan, the place where the group clashes began on Thursday afternoon. “If the Dalits feel that their feelings have been hurt I am with them.

Capt Amarinder Singh, who was accompanied by the AICC Secretary, Ms Santosh Chaudhary, Mr Gurbinder Atwal and Chaudhary Jagjit Singh Ministers, Mr Balbir Singh, MP, and Mr Tejinder Bittu, District Congress Committee president, said the AICC chief, Ms Sonia Gandhi, was deeply concerned over the “unfortunate” developments in Jalandhar. “She rang me up twice today around 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. I am briefing her on the issue on a regular basis,” said the Chief Minister.

He rejected the suggestion that the SGPC or the Sikh Judicial Commission would be involved in the process even if it was a matter concerning a “gurdwara”. “It is an issue of villagers. So they should be involved.”