2 min readMar 20, 2026 07:24 AM IST
First published on: Mar 20, 2026 at 07:00 AM IST

Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi’s cryptic remark, at the end of his meeting with the opposition leaders, indirectly indicating something might be done in Punjab by Baisakhi day, April 13, has set off a wave of speculation. The meeting was called by the government to apprise the opposition leaders about the government’s decision on the Ravi-Beas Waters Tribunal Bill. Almost at the end of the meeting, K P Unnikrishnan of the Congress (S) and Balwant Singh Ramoowalia of the Akali Dal drew the Prime Minister’s attention to the Lok Sabha Speaker’s decision to have a discussion on March 21 on terrorist activities in the country and pleaded that this would not be fruitful at this time.

India-US economic ties

The eighth session of the Indo-US economic and commercial subcommission ended in Washington without eliciting more than a “better understanding” of each other’s perceptions and problems in both these fields of activity. However, according to Government of India officials, the attitude of the US, both to multilateral agencies and increased contributions to the international development agency in particular, was found to be “hopeful”.

Sobhraj accomplice arrested

Bhola Ram, one of the six persons who escaped with Charles Sobhraj from Tihar Jail, was arrested from his sister’s house in Gwalior by a Delhi Police party along with the local police. According to police sources, Bhola Ram was dropped by Sobhraj and his gang somewhere in Delhi and he hid at a friend’s place for two days. Subsequently, he escaped to Gwalior unnoticed by the police.

Drug peddler held in Delhi

A police control room jeep on patrol duty in the Karol Bagh area caught a drug peddler after a dramatic chase around the national capital and a shootout, and seized nearly 70 kg of charas valued at around Rs 4 lakh in the Indian market and Rs 25 lakh in the foreign market.