Opinion April 9, 1982, Forty Years Ago: Lok Dal Split
Lok Dal president Charan Singh, who said he had retired from politics, suspended Biju Patnaik, Devi Lal and Kumbha Ram Arya from the primary membership of the party to force the fourth split in the Lok Dal since the January 1980 Lok Sabha elections.
With 41 seats, it had emerged as the biggest opposition group in the Lok Sabha after the 1980 elections. 
Lok Dal president Charan Singh, who said he had retired from politics, suspended Biju Patnaik, Devi Lal and Kumbha Ram Arya from the primary membership of the party to force the fourth split in the Lok Dal since the January 1980 Lok Sabha elections. The 80-year-old leader’s action is certain to wipe out the Lok Dal in Orissa, and severely reduce its strength in Rajasthan and Haryana. With only the UP and Bihar units with Charan Singh, the party is likely to be brought down to the status of a regional party. With 41 seats, it had emerged as the biggest opposition group in the Lok Sabha after the 1980 elections.
Assam Talks Fail
The third round of tripartite talks on foreigners in Assam also ended in a deadlock. The government and the movement leaders once again failed to come to any agreement on the substantive issue — the principles for the detection of foreign nationals — which has a bearing on the eligibility of Indian citizenship of Hindu refugees who had migrated from erstwhile East Pakistan during 1961-71. According to the All Assam Students Union and All Assam Ganasangram Parishad leaders, the home minister abruptly left the meeting before the talks formally ended. They were “humiliated and insulted”, agitated members of the delegation told the reporters outside North Block. An official spokesman later denied the allegation.
Maneka Sympathisers
The Congress (I) high command, which had been alerted about Maneka Gandhi’s Karnataka connection, is reportedly contemplating disciplinary action against those who are identified as her sympathisers. Rajiv Gandhi and Gulam Nabi Azad, president of the Youth Congress (I) have already received complaints against BK Hariprasad, a protege of the chief minister, Gundu Rao and certain other Karnataka Youth Congress (I) office-bearers.
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