April 27, Forty Years Ago: Why Charan Singh distanced himself from BJP

Six persons were killed in three incidents in the Faridkot and Amritsar districts of Punjab while terrorists exploded a series of bombs damaging railway tracks and disrupting traffic at three places in Ferozepur. In one of the incidents, four persons were killed and some injured in an exchange of fire with BSF jawans.

Bangla Border Fence

The government categorically declared in both Houses of Parliament that it cannot abandon the work of erecting a fence along the Bangladesh border nor will it yield to any pressure on this score. Home Minister P C Sethi, replying to debates on the recent border skirmishes, said the government was concerned about the uncontrolled infiltration from across the border.

PM on security risks

Defence Minister R Venkataraman told senior Air Force officers that “the present situation posed great danger to us from across our western border.” The thrust of the speeches of PM Indira Gandhi who addressed the IAF and the Defence Minister has been that the security situation around India has worsened. Last week, Home Minister P C Sethi voiced in Parliament concern at reports that extremists had links with Pakistan and there was evidence of arms smuggling into Punjab.