The Hindu : The guilty will be punished: PM

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Apr 22, 2002

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The guilty will be punished: PM

The Prime Minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee, at the inauguration of the construction work of the Bogibeel bridge in Dibrugarh on Sunday. The Railways Minister, Nitish Kumar (second from right), the Assam Governor, S.K. Sinha, the Union Minister of State for Railways, Digvijay Singh (second from left), the Union Minister of State for Transport and Highways, B.C. Khanduri, and the Assam Chief Minister, Tarun Gogoi (extreme right), are also seen. — Photo: Ritu Raj Konwar

Dibrugarh April 21 . The Prime Minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee, today promised to punish those guilty of causing violence in Gujarat irrespective of their religious, caste or political affiliations and urged all people to help the State tide over the grave crisis.

Speaking at a function to inaugurate the commencement of work on the Bogibeel rail-road bridge here, Mr. Vajpayee said, ``Gujarat is passing through a period of crisis. It is the duty of all countrymen to come forward and help the people of the State to come out of the tragic times."

People's life, property and self-respect would be protected at any cost, he said, emphasising that there would be no distinction on the basis of religion or caste. "We are all one. There may be different religions, languages, castes and festivals but there is unity in this diversity, and we unite in times of adversity and crisis."

In an obvious reference to Pakistan, he said, "Some of o urneighbours do not want us to remain united, but to disintegrate. However this dream will never be fulfilled."

Appeal to militants

The Prime Minister appealed to militants in the North-East to give up violence and help the country move ahead. "Terrorism is an international challenge and what is happening here is also terrorism, which has no place in a civilised society."

"Leave the wrong road. Take the path of peace. Come, let us take the path of development and help Assam and the country achieve progress and also in creating a new world."

The Assam Chief Minister, Tarun Gogoi, asked Mr. Vajpayee to initiate a peace process with insurgents in the State. The State Government had time and again expressed its desire that the ULFA and other insurgent groups eschew the path of violence and come forward for talks.

Mr. Gogoi welcomed the peace process initiated by the Centre with the NSCM (I-M) and appealed to the Centre to start a similar dialogue with insurgent outfits in Assam. — PTI, UNI

Barun Das Gupta reports:

Earlier, Mr. Vajpayee started the "commencement of work" of the construction of the Bogibeel rail-cum-road bridge at a function in the Chowkidingee playground here. The foundation was laid by the former Prime Minister, H.D. Deve Gowda, in January 22, 1997.

As Mr. Vajpayee pushed a button, work started at the Bogibeel site, 15 km from here. The bridge, which will link Dibrugarh and Dhemaji districts and facilitate easier access to Arunachal Pradesh, will be completed in six years.

The total cost of the project, including the bridge, the guide bunds, the railway lines on both sides of the river and the approach roads, is Rs. 1767.85 crore.

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