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Govt may free jailed Punjab militants
 The Times of India News Service and agencies
NASHIK: The government is considering reviewing cases of those jailed during the height of militancy in Punjab, Union Home minister L K Advani said on Sunday. The move comes close on the heels of the release of jailed Kashmiri leaders belonging to the All-Party Hurriyat Conference.
``I have asked officials of my ministry to prepare a list of those who were detained in Punjab under the National Security Act (NSA) and the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities Act (TADA). If the Hurriyat leaders can be released, why not these persons,'' Advani told newsmen on the sidelines of the state-level convention of the Bharatiya Janata Party's Maharashtra unit.
However, he said any decision on their release would be taken on a case-by-case basis and merit.
He said the ban on the Liberation of Tigers of Tamil Eelam, which expired on Sunday, had been extended for two years. The decision to extend the ban comes in the backdrop of crisis in Sri Lanka and the call from some allies of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) to lift the ban and recognise the LTTE's demand for a separate homeland.
Advani dealt a severe blow to the Sena-BJP alliance's credibility by stating that the charges regarding the alleged ISI connections of Maharashtra's deputy chief minister Chhagan Bhujbal were baseless. ``Bhujbal met me and discussed the matter with me. There is no base to the charges,'' he said.
Former chief minister and now assembly's opposition leader Narayan Rane and the BJP's opposition leader in the legislative council Nitin Gadkari had alleged that the residence and offices of Bhujbal had become dens of ISI agents. Subsequently, Gadkari had called on Advani to explain the basis of the charges. Advani's clean chit to Bhujbal is bound to embarrass Rane and Gadkari.
Advani said the ISI had been spreading its network in India. Recently, West Bengal's home minister had called on him and requested him that henceforth West Bengal should be mentioned whenever Advani or other Central leaders spoke about the activities of the ISI. Advani expressed happiness over the WB home minister's request and said this showed how serious the problem was. He recalled how it was considered communal just a few years ago to speak out against the ISI.
About the incidents of attacks against the minorities and particularly about an incident four days ago at Abhona village in Nashik district, Advani said the BJP and the Union government were committed to the protection of the minorities. If any untoward incidents occurred, the government would not spare the guilty, he added.
BJP spokesman Venkaiah Naidu had spoken against foreign funding on Saturday and demanded audit of foreign funds coming into India. Advani said he had not received any representation in this connection.
The convention ended here on Sunday with an address by Union minister Pramod Mahajan. A public meeting held on the banks of the Godavari on Saturday night evoked good public ersponse. The party reiterated its resolve to work for the next elections without hastening the fall of the present Democratic Front government in Maharashtra. Former deputy chief minister Gopinath Munde, who moved the political resolution, expressed these feelings when he said the party workers should not await the fall of the government.
Workers and leaders, including Mahajan, avoided mentioning the Shiv Sena even once. Mahajan said the BJP in Maharashtra should work in such a manner that it could attain similar position like in Gujarat or Rajasthan which meant the party should not rely upon the Shiv Sena.
Earlier, addressing the 10th state convention of the BJP at Kalidar auditorium here, Advani asked the party workers to be vigilant and not negligent just because the BJP was in power. He said the BJP was now enjoying the TINA (There is no alternative) factor as the main opposition Congress party was inactive. ``But, I want the BJP to win the subsequent elections on the basis of its track record in office and not on the strength of the TINA factor,'' he said.
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