Chief Minister
In the state elections of 1980, he was elected to Punjab Legislative Assembly from Nakodar, and was appointed as Chief Minister on February 17, 1980. The 1980s were a turbulent time in the history of Punjab marked by an increase in violence and demand for a separate Sikh homeland, Sardar Darbara Singh remained Chief Minister for three years. During this time his government was grappling with the rising Khalistani militancy in the state. There was a spate of assassinations, prime among them being the daylight murder of Lala Jagat Narain, Head of the Punjab Kesri group of newspapers of Jalandhar. This was followed by the assassination of DIG of Punjab Police Jalandhar range Avtar Singh Atwal in the Golden Temple Complex. Due to increase in terrorist violence, the tenure of the ministry was cut short and the Darbara Singh ministry resigned and President's Rule was imposed in the state under Art.356 of Indian Constitution on June 6, 1983.
Read more about this topic: Darbara Singh
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