Arjun Singh warned PM of revival of militancy in Punjab

Union Minister Arjun Singh, an avid letter writer, had "warned" Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in April 2006 that the situation in Punjab was worsening and there was a fear of revival of militancy in the border state.

Union Minister Arjun Singh, an avid letter writer, had "warned" Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in April 2006 that the situation in Punjab was worsening and there was a fear of revival of militancy in the border state.

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Though the fears of Singh on the return of militancy did not come true, he did not hesitate to point out alleged lacunae in the functioning of the then state government being run by the party.

This has come to light in a yet to be released book titled "Arjun Singh: Ek sahyatri itihas ka", a biography of the leader by journalist Ramsharan Joshi.

In his letter to the PM on April 16, 2006, Singh said the situation in Punjab was deteriorating and soon a time may come when it becomes irreversible, according to the book.

"All the basic ingredients for escalating militancy have been put in place and a number of known Khalistani workers have infiltrated the state and are receiving protection from there," the letter said.

"The most unfortunate part is the attitude of the Chief Minister to all these unscrupulous activities and it is difficult to ascertain what his real intentions are," it alleged.