ag3l+@andrew.cmu.edu ("Arun K. Gupta" ) (06/08/91)
============================================================================= From: "Arun K. Gupta" <ag3l+@andrew.cmu.edu> India News: Militants Kill 13 In Punjab Cabinet Minister Survives Bomb blast ============================================================================= NEW DELHI, India AP Separatist Sikh militants killed 13 people in the state of Punjab, including a state legislative candidate, news reports said. Seven militants also were killed in gang warfare, reports said. An assailant also hurled a bomb at a car carrying junior Interior Minister Subodh Kant Sahay, but he was not hurt, Press Trust reported. Sahay is a candidate for the Ludhiana parliamentary constituency. The slain candidate, Communist Amolak Singh, is the 18th candidate for the national elections to be killed by militants. Singh and six other people in his car were killed in an ambush by militants near the town of Panj Garain, 190 miles northwest of New Delhi, the Press Trust of India news agency reported. National elections began May 20, but were postponed to June after former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated during an election rally in southern India. Most of remaining voting will be held on June 12 and 15. Punjab's elections are scheduled for June 22 to allow security personnel to be moved to the northern state from election duties elsewhere.