In swift and dramatic developments, the Haryana Chief Minister, Bhajan Lal, was replaced by Bansi Lal, Union Railway Minister. Bansi Lal was unanimously elected leader of the Haryana Congress(I) Legislative Party at Haryana Bhawan. Bhajan Lal handed over his resignation to the state Governor, S M Burney, who is also in the Capital. His resignation was accepted by the Governor.

Security forces enter Temple

Security forces re-entered the Golden Temple complex after supporters of the Damdami Taksal and the All India Sikh Students Federation (Kahlon) allegedly beat up members of the “task force” recently raised by the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC). Avtar Singh, 45, a newly recruited member of the SGPC task force, was killed and another seriously injured when about 200 Sikh militants led by Bimal Kaur Khalsa, widow of Beant Singh, virtually ransacked the rooms around the parikarma and the Guru Nanak Niwas.

Pak seeks US aid for F-7

Pakistan has approached the United States with a proposal to set up facilities for producing and upgrading the Chinese F-7 interceptor aircraft using American weapons and avionics technology. In what could amount to direct Chinese-American defence production collaboration on Pakistani soil, it has emerged that Pakistan and China have discussed this possibility with the US.

India hit by Chernobyl plume

A radioactive plume originating from Chernobyl in the USSR hit India on May 14 and its impact was recorded at the atomic power stations at Tarapur (near Bombay), Rawatbhata (Rajasthan) and Kalpakkam (Madras) until May 26. According to a source at the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Tarapur recorded the highest levels at 7,700 and 7,160 millibecquerel per gram on May 21 and 22, against a permitted value of 3,000 mbq per gramme.