Akalis, BJP to expose Congress role in Punjab terrorism

The Akali Dal (Badal)-Bharatiya Janata Party alliance in Punjab says it will set up a special commission of inquiry, headed by a retired judge, to 'expose the Congress hand behind the violence in Punjab.'

Charging the ruling Congress with playing divisive politics in Punjab by creating a wedge between Hindus and Sikhs, Madan Lal Khurana, the BJP leader in charge of Punjab affairs, said the commission would also look into Pakistan's role in waging the proxy war against India.

Khurana dared Chief Minister Rajinder Kaur Bhattal to answer his charge that the police had raided her Chandigarh home in 1991-92 to look for terrorists before the installation of the Beant Singh government in Punjab. He also alleged that terrorist Gurinder Singh had told the Chandigarh police that Punjab Congress president Santokh Singh Randhawa had harboured terrorists.

The Akali Dal-BJP alliance promised 'free canal water for irrigation and free power to operate tubewells, abolition of octroi and inspector raj and simplification sales tax structure' if it win power in the February 7 assembly election.

The common minimum programme -- released jointly by Khurana and Surjit Singh Barnala, the former chief minister, -- was, however, silent on the abolition of land revenue, which is an unimplemented part of the Bhattal government's 50-point action plan on Punjab announced on Secember 22.

While promising to work for genuine and lasting peace in Punjab by quelling the proxy war being waged against the country by Pakistan, the CMP, in its preamble, made a commitment to preserve and enhance the dignity and honour of Punjab and Punjabis.