The Hindu : Gill asks for 1000 Punjab commandos?

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, May 08, 2002

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Gill asks for 1000 Punjab commandos?

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI MAY 7. For the second time within a few days, K.P.S. Gill, former Director-General of Punjab Police and now Security Adviser to the Gujarat Chief Minister, Narendra Modi, met the Union Home Minister, L.K. Advani, in his North Block office here today.

The meeting, which lasted about half an hour, was officially described as a "courtesy call''. However, it is learnt that Mr. Gill asked for the services of 1000 Punjab Police commandos to be placed at his disposal for dealing with the "extremely dangerous situation" in Gujarat. The Union Home Ministry refused to confirm this.

The Centre is suggesting that Mr. Gill would have requested the Gujarat Chief Minister to speak to his counterpart in Punjab to make available to him the services of the commandos. In the midst of the confusion, reports from Gandhinagar suggest that the Gujarat Government is also unwilling to confirm Mr. Gill's request.

It was made clear by the Home Ministry that details of Mr. Gill's assignment would not and were not discussed "here'' but would be worked out in Gandhinagar.

At the same time, it is being admitted that Article 355 of the Constitution, which makes it the "duty'' of the Centre "to ensure'' that the State Government functions "in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution'', has been effectively applied to Gujarat.

Mr. Advani himself said this at the BJP Parliamentary Party meeting this morning although this action was projected as a routine affair rather than use of special and extraordinary powers which come into play only when the State Government fails to discharge its responsibilities.

Mr. Gill had made a "courtesy call'' on Mr. Advani on May 3, a day before he went to Ahmedabad to meet Mr. Modi and got appointed as his Security Adviser, and then after his return he has met him again today even as reports from the State said that more people have died in fresh violence on Ahmedabad's streets forcing the Government to impose curfew in several areas.

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