Punjab not to observe 'Sankalp Divas' on Oct 31

Chandigarh, Oct 23 (UNI) The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD)-BJP Government in Punjab today decided not to observe October 31, the death anniversary of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, as 'Sankalp Divas'.

" The Punjab Government has decided to ignore the communication from the Union Government about observing October 31 as Sankalp Divas", Mr Harcharan Bains, Media Advisor to the Chief Minister stated here this evening.

He said that the commuincation in this regard marked to the district heads stood withdrawn.

Mr Bains further said " Punjabis and countrymen had strong views on several decisions of Mrs Indira Gandhi and as such it would be difficult to motivate the people to take part in Sankalp Divas".

The letter to the district heads sent a few days back from the state headquarters had been marked down as a routine matter and without consultation of the higher political and bureaucratic authorities, he added.

Earlier at a meet the press programme here, Cooperatives Minister Capt Kanwaljit Singh had stated that though he was against all forms of terrorism but the attack on the Golden Temple in June 1984 during the tenure of Mrs Gandhi could not be easily forgotten.

"Certain decisions taken by Mrs Gandhi visa vis the Sikh community were not in the best interests", he maintained while replying to a question.

" The attack on the Golden Temple was primarily for winning the 1985 Lok Sabha elections", he claimed while pointing out that he would check whether a communication had been passed onto the district heads to observe Sankalp Divas.

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