Opinion 40 years ago December 12, 1985: Walkout in Rajya Sabha
This is the front page of The Indian Express published on December 12, 1985.
This is the front page of The Indian Express published on December 12, 1985. Members from opposition parties, barring those from the AIADMK, walked out of the Rajya Sabha as the stalemate over the sealing of party offices in Parliament House continued. The walkout came after chairman R Venkatraman allowed M S Gurupadaswamy (Janata) to make a submission. The Opposition should be allowed to function without any obstacles in a democratic manner, he said. The chairman said, “This House has no jurisdiction to discuss this matter.”
Relief for Sikh migrants
Punjab Chief Minister Surjit Singh Barnala announced a package of relief measures for Sikh migrant families including free-of-cost LIG houses for widows, destitutes and disabled persons. Barnala said 1,691 families numbering 6,850 members had migrated to the state following the riots.
PM on Assam Accord
Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi warned the people of Assam, especially minorities, not to be misled by any propaganda against the Assam Accord, which, he said, was “well-timed and would protect the interests of all sections of the society”. He said Congress (I) alone could ensure proper implementation of the Accord and speedy development of the state. The PM said the prolonged agitation on the foreigners issue had affected the pace of development and disrupted academic life in Assam.
DPS student with Pak revolver
An unlicensed Pakistan-made .32 bore revolver was seized from a Class XII student of the Delhi Public School, Mathura Road. The student, Kanhiya Kumar, is said to have brandished the revolver during a fight between some day scholars and hostellers in the school premises. The revolver was, however, empty. The boy is reported to have told the police that he was given the revolver by a retired colonel of the Indian Army, Col S K Abrol. The colonel had apparently told him to find a buyer for the weapon.
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