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Deportation of scribe unfortunate: Chautala

By Our Special Correspondent

CHANDIGARH, SEPT.13. The Haryana Chief Minister, Om Parkash Chautala, who returned home today from Pakistan, described the "deportation'' of journalist Kanwar Sandhu by the Pakistani authorities as `unfortunate'. Mr.Sandhu, Resident Editor of the Chandigarh edition of the Hindustan Times, was part of the delegation led by Mr. Chautala. However, the Pakistani authorities sent Mr. Sandhu back home as soon as the delegation reached Lahore on Friday through the Wagah border.

Soon after crossing over into India at the Wagah border today, Mr.Chautala said Mr.Sandhu had entered Pakistan on the basis of a valid visa. He told reporters that Mr.Sandhu was a member of the delegation which had gone to fetch "sacred water'' from Sodhra village in Gujranwala district, the birthplace of Bhai Kanhaiya.

The Chief Minister said that he would lodge a formal protest in case Mr. Sandhu had been deliberately harassed by the Pakistani authorities.

He said that he had no words to express the love and affection which was showered upon him and the members of the delegation by the Pakistani people. He said he had fetched water from that well in Sodhra from which Bhai Kanhaiya used to serve water to the people 300 years ago without any discrimination of caste or creed and without differentiating between a friend and a foe. The example set by Bhai Kanhaiya had given a new direction to humanity, he added. Replying to a question, Mr.Chautala denied that he had fetched the "water'' for any political gain. He also denied the allegation levelled by the Congress MP, Bhupinder Singh Hooda, that a patrician attitude had been adopted in supplying water to the people in different areas of the State. He asserted that his regime was adopting a fair approach in the supply of water and the allegation levelled by Mr. Hooda was baseless.

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