Front page of The Indian Express on August 13, 1978
WITH PRAKASH PADUKONE winning the coveted men’s singles title and the wrestlers striking it rich, India’s tally rose to five gold, four silver and six bronze medals in the Commonwealth Games. Padukone defeated England’s Derek Talbot in straight games at 15-9, 15-8. Ashok Kumar (48-kg section), Satbir Singh (57-kg), and Rajinder Singh (74-kg)) won the wrestling golds while Sudesh Kumar, Jagminder Singh and Satpal settled for silvers. Three wrestlers bagged bronze medals.
Raj Narain’s Charges
RAJ NARAIN, FORMER Union Health Minister, said a list of fresh charges involving Prime Minister Morarji Desai’s son, Kanti Desai, and some other important persons would be handed over to the PM in a day or two. Raj Narain told media persons that if the PM did not take steps to have those charges probed he would raise the issue at party meetings.
Speech Was Taped
THE CONTROVERSIAL SPEECH which Raj Narain, former Union Health Minister, made at Simla on June 25, 1978, and which, it is said, cost him his ministry, was taped by intelligence officials of the state government. The reason why the officials recorded the speech was they feared that while using the platform of Yuva Janata Morcha to address the meeting he might say something “provocative and inflammatory”. They had this fear because the meeting was organised at the Ridge, an important tourist spot, in defiance of an official instruction.
UP Floods
THE FLOOD SITUATION in Uttar Pradesh deteriorated further as a result of heavy rains and rising water levels in the rivers. About 1,300 villages more, with a population of about two lakh, in 35 districts have been affected, according to reports. More than two million acre of cropped area has been ravaged and more than 85,000 houses damaged or destroyed in the floods.