'Khalistan Concept Still Relevant'

Shows Up In Chandigarh

Self-styled Khalistan leader Jagjit Singh Chauhan who returned to India latelast night from a 21-year exile in Britain amidst high drama and finallysurfaced in Chandigarh tonight ending day-long speculations about his whereabouts.

Chauhan, who came by a British Airways flight as a sick passenger last night, virtually went into hiding for hoursbefore he arrived in Chandigarh by Shatabdi Express from Delhi.

His wife Charanjit Kaur and a largen number of mediapersons were present at the railway station. Earlier in the day, his anticipatory bail application wasdismissed as withdrawn by the Punjab and Haryana High Court on technical grounds.

"I am delighted to be back in my homeland," Chauhan, lookingcomposed and calm, said.

Questioned

Asked about his whereabouts since arrival in Delhi, Chauhan said "Iarrived in Delhi last night at about 10 P M and was taken from the airport to anundisclosed place by personnel of various (Intelligence) agencies who questionedme the way you are questioning me." He said he was not harassed by anyagency

Khalistan

He admitted that he brought out a map of Khalistan, designed itscurrency and opened consulates in other countries. "This was a symbolic wayof registering my protest."

"Anyone who understands my ideology of Khalistan will accept myviewpoint," he added.

He had started the movement for Khalistan by opening an office in Jalandharcourts complex, he said, and that "soon media created a fear psychosisamong the people".

Violence

To a question on violence in Punjab in '80s, Chauhan said "I stronglycondemn any sort of violence. I even condemned violence outside the country. Weare determined not to allow any kind of violence."

Political Future?

He said he would meet leaders of various political parties here and mentionedthe name of Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal in this regard.

"Khalistan is not visible on the agenda of Akali Dal," Chauhan saidand added that he would neither join any political party nor contest election tothe Punjab assembly.

Judiciary

On rejection of his anticipatory bail applications, he said "I hold thejudiciary in high esteem. The country's system is alive because of thejudiciary."

He denied that officials of Scotland Yard or Amnesty International hadaccompanied him from London.

Incommunicado

Meanwhile, throughout the day, the whereabouts of the 73-year-old Sikh separatist werenot immediately known with various versions doing the rounds.

Intelligence sources here had said that Chauhan, who travelled as a sick passenger on a British Airways flight andcame out of the Indira Gandhi International airport on wheel chair, left for Chandigarh by a car.

The separatist leader's counsel in Chandigarh confirmed his arrival in India buthad said "I cannot reveal further details".

Chauhan was theFinance minister in the Gurnam Singh Ministry in 1967-70, went into exile in Britain on May 15,1980 at the height of militancy in Punjab and had declared a separate Khalistan Republic.

The Punjab and Haryana high court had directed the Centre on May 29 to issue travel documents to Chauhanto enable him to return to India.

Fearing his arrest on arrival, Chauhan moved an anticipatory bail application in the Punjab and Haryana courton June 12, which was rejected by the court the next day.

Won't Be Arrested

Official sources in New Delhi said the 73-year-old Chauhan was unlikely to be arrested in view of the changedsituation in Punjab and the fact that he had considerably softened his aggressive stand on the Khalistan issue.

Congress Declines Comment

"We as a political party have not not taken a view on the return of Chauhan to India. It is for the government totake a view as it has all the information", Party Spokesman S Jaipal Reddy told reporters.

Asked to clarify party stand on the return of Khalistan protagonists including W S Jaffarwal and nowChauhan, He said, the party has always been in favour of evolving a consensus onsuch matters.

Chauhan arrived here late last night after remaining in exile for 21 years in Britain

'All Leaders Were In Touch'

Notwithstanding Sikh separatist leader Jagjit Singh Chauhan's campaign forKhalistan, leaders of all shades in Punjab had "all through maintained contact withhim", his wife had earlier claimed in Chandigarh when reporters wereawaiting him or news of his whereabouts.

"All politicians either Akali or Congress during their trips to London always made it a point to meet and interactwith my husband," a jovial looking Charanjit Kaur told PTI

Waiting anxiously for her husband's return to their residence in this satellite town, Kaur said despite differencein ideologies the leaders interacted with him "for hours".

"They used to discuss even non political and domestic issues," she remarked.

Seventy-one-year-old Kaur said she was touched by the excitement her relatives and friends are showing overhis arrival in India after 21 years of exile.

However, she expressed apprehension that the Indian sleuths and intelligence agencies could"grill and embarrass" him, The 73-year-old separatist leader, who"gave himself a punishing schedule during his youth, is lately complaining ofchest pain", she said adding "all medical check ups have been done and his condition isotherwise sound".

Kaur said her husband spoke to her over phone on June 25 and told her that he had lengthy confabulationswith his solicitors, Scotland Yard officials and Amnesty International about hishomecoming to India.

"After that two minutes call there has been no contact with him," she said adding that if Chauhan was in Indiathen he would certainly come to his Mohali residence.

After spending a day or two in Tanda in Hoshiarpur, Chauhan will pay obeisance at Golden Temple inAmritsar, she said.

Asked whether Chauhan would prefer staying in India or could fly back to London, she said"it will be purely my husband's decision ..... Any way I myself will have to go backto London for some medical check ups there," Kaur, who came to India on Saturday last, said.

To a question, she remarked "we have property in London also which requires to be looked after by someone"

She parried all political questions and asserted that "no one in the government or the opposition is instrumentalin bringing my husband back to sada (our) Punjab"