Opinion Forty Years Ago, July 25, 1979: Janata RSS Ties
The Indian Express' front page on July 25, 1979
The Indian Express' front page on July 25, 1979 
The Indian Express’ front page on July 25, 1979
Whatever link the Janata Party has with the RSS will be cut off. Members of Parliament and state legislatures and office-bearers of the Janata Party will not be allowed to take part in RSS activities. This was announced by the party President, Chandra Shekhar, at a news conference, paving the way for the return of those who had deserted the ruling party in protest against the erstwhile Jana Sangh members’ continued connections with the RSS. This is also a bid to defuse the dual membership controversy which had led to the resignation of 100-odd members from the Janata Parliamentary Party and the fall of the Morarji Desai government.
Pakistan’s Atom Bomb
Western sources believe that Pakistan is within three or four years of the capability of producing an atom bomb despite denials in Pakistan and Prime Minister Morarji Desai’s public statements of doubt. Details are now coming in from London indicating a web of international intrigue which permitted a Pakistani physicist, Abdul Gadkar Khan, who worked for one of the joint nuclear projects of the West European governments in Holland, to order machinery for the development of a reprocessing plant in Pakistan. Such a plant could be used to produce weapons-grade plutonium, using the same method that was used in India to produce India’s first nuclear device in 1974.
Sheikh declines offer
The Jammu and Kashmir chief minister, Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah, said today that he had declined the offer to become the Vice-President of India as he wanted to devote his full attention to the economic development of the state. Addressing National Conference workers, he described as “unfortunate’’ the prevailing state of uncertainty at the Centre. He said, “what we want is stability at the Centre”. He announced that “whichever party or group forms the government, it should be able to ensure a stable government to look after public welfare.”
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