Tuesday, August 31, 1999
|
P U N J A B | |
Tuesday, August 31, 1999 |
weather  spotlighttoday's calendar |
 |
||
|
Security
to rape victim withdrawn |
 |
|
||||||
|
Law &
order worst in Badal's rule: Bhattal Defeat Cong, SAD: Tohra Bardhan's call to rout SAD, BJP 5-year-term for MPs to ‘save
money’ Ayodhya not in NDA manifesto: BJP Two arrested for murdering boy Punjab Minister sees SAD-BJP wave New Punjab BSP chief after poll Nawanshahr SSP shifted Vote for Cong would be disaster:
Kainth |
||||||||
 |
||||
Security to rape victim withdrawn LUDHIANA, Aug 30 — The security cover provided to Gurpreet Sharma, alias Sonu, and her family, the rape victim in the case involving the son and a close relative of the Punjab Agriculture Minister, Mr Gurdev Singh Badal, has been withdrawn. The security provided to Mr Harish Khanna, Janata Dal leader, who had brought this infamous rape case to the fore, has also been reportedly withdrawn. Ms Gurpreet Sharma and her family has alleged that after the withdrawal of security, they have been subjected to threats and intimidation so that they withdraw the name of Suba Singh, son of Mr Gurdev Singh Badal, from the complaint. The police, on the other hand, maintain that the security of the rape victim and Mr Khanna was withdrawn along with 100 other protectees in Ludhiana as the police force was required for the electioneering process. Interestingly, the police had provided security to Ms Gurpreet and Mr Khanna when the election process was already on. Meanwhile, the FIR registered by the victim's family which included charges of abduction, had also not been amended till date, although the girl had given statements to the police and before a judicial magistrate. A senior police official, on the condition of anonymity, maintained that the FIR had not been amended as the police had yet to receive the statement of the victim given before the judicial magistrate. However, Mr Harish
Khanna claimed that the police had collected the
statement from the court the day Gurpreet had appeared
before the court. He also added that the police was
deliberately trying to hush up the case by making such
claims. |
||
CM agrees to gift MC land
to gurdwara AMRITSAR, Aug 30 — Mr Parkash Singh Badal, Chief Minister and President Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) today asked workers of the SAD and BJP to sink their differences and work for the victory of state BJP president Mr Daya Singh Sodhi, who is contesting Lok Sabha election from Amritsar. A section of SAD and BJP workers had raised the banner of revolt against the party candidate. However, rapprochement was brought about after Mr Sukhdev Singh Dhinsda, secretary general SAD and Mr Balramji Dass Tandon, Minister Local Bodies held a three -hour-long meeting with them a few days ago. Today Mr Badal asked the workers of both parties not to air their grievances at election time and assured them that the party would make all-out efforts to solve problems being faced by them. Mr Badal also held a meeting with representatives of various Sikh bodies including SGPC member Jaswinder Singh. He assured them that 168 yards of land belonging to the municipal corporation would be handed over to Gurdwara Santokhsar after the Lok Sabha election. While making this commitment Mr Balramji Dass Tandon was with him. Later Mr Badal addressed a series of poll rallies in Tarn Taran and Amritsar Lok Sabha constituencies. He lambasted the Congress for adopting an anti-govt and pro-Pakistan stance on the Kargil issue and said our neighbour was using the Congress stand as a propaganda weapon by projecting it on its electronics media. He said the Congress was
responsible for poverty, unemployment and other
'monster-like' problems. He said that this election was
different as this time it was a Swadeshi vs Videshi
issue. |
||
SSP directed to verify
complaint CHANDIGARH, Aug 30 — The Punjab and Haryana High Court today directed the SSP of Jalandhar to verify the averments made by Mr Mohinder Singh in his complaint dated February 23 and also in his representation given to the SHO, Jalandhar, on March 26. Mr Justice T.H.B. Chalapathi, who handed down this order, directed the SSP to take such action as was required under the law, including getting the case registered, after verifying the facts. In his application the petitioner sought the registration of a case against the SHO of Shahkot police station, Mr Kashmira Singh, and other police officials who had tortured him at the behest of certain other residents of the village. He alleged that on
February 21, Mr Kashmira Singh and other police officials
raided his house at Rame village and took him to the
police station where he was tortured and pressurised to
give land to one Balbir Singh. He alleged that he was
pressurised to sign blank papers. |
||
Law & order worst in
Badal's rule: Bhattal GURDASPUR, Aug 30 — Mrs Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, a former Chief Minister, addressing an election rally in the border town of Dera Baba Nanak in support of Mrs Sukhbans Kaur Bhinder, the Congress candidate from Gurdaspur Lok Sabha constituency, today alleged that the law and order situation in the state had been the worst during the regime of Mr Parkash Singh Badal. Cases of rape had been reported from Patiala, Ferozepore and Sangrur. The abduction of two women from Amritsar and many other unreported cases in the state had failed to draw the attention of the Chief Minister and his government, she claimed. Pointing out a rape case in Faridkot district with which the name of a son and son-in law of Mr Gurdev Singh Badal, Agriculture Minister, were linked, Mrs Bhattal said that the Chief Minister did not condemn the incident and no case had been registered in this regard so far. The people of Punjab would have appreciated if Mr Badal had asked the Minister concerned to resign, she said. She also criticised Mr Badal for not condemning the BJP for allegedly insulting Mr Manmohan Singh at a public meeting of Congress workers in Delhi. She claimed that the Congress party had done a lot to promote Sikh religion in the state, while Mr Badal had allegedly only denigrated Sikh institutions during his 33-month rule. She accused Mr Badal of having created a controversy over the Jathedar of Akal Takht. Crops worth Rs 1000 cr had been damaged twice during the Chief Ministership of Mr Badal. But instead of compensating the farmers, both the Prime Minister and Chief Minister had turned a deaf ear to them, she alleged.It is during Badal's regime that more than 500 farmers of the state have committed suicide because agriculture policy of the state could not give them enough to pay off their debts. Mr Santokh Singh
Randhawa former PPCC chief and organiser of the rally,
and Mrs Sukhbans Kaur Bhinder also addressed the rally. |
||
Defeat Cong, SAD: Tohra CHAMKAUR SAHIB (Ropar), Aug 30 — Mr Gurcharan Singh Tohra, President of the Sarb Hind Shiromani Akali Dal (SHSAD), called upon people to take revenge with the help of ballot instead of a sword on the Congress and the "Badalkian" (Badal and his supporters) for denigrating the Akal Takht and its rich traditions. Addressing an election rally in the local grain market last night, organised in support of Bibi Balbir Kaur Khalsa, a candidate of the SHSAD for the Ropar (reserved) Parliamentary constituency, Mr Tohra urged the people to take revenge also against the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) in the current Lok Sabha elections so that no one in future could dare to defy the "hukamnama" (edict) of Akal Takht. Mr Tohra also announced that he would not become the Chief Minister of the State rather he would make a "Mr Clean" the Chief Minister whenever he got a chance. He also said he would make Mr Mann Singh Manherra, secretary of Punjab unit of the BSP, the Home Minister to unearth the black money of Congressmen and Akalis of the SAD for the development of the State. Mr Tohra also said Mr Badal was not a Sikh as he had given up ‘panthic ideology’ and love for ‘panth’. He had also disobeyed the decision of the "Panj Pyaras". Mr Tohra said he did not consider those SGPC members, Sikhs, who had opposed the ‘Hukamnama’ issued by the Akal Takht. The president of the SHSAD said there were anti-Congress and anti-SAD waves. It seemed to be a wave of the year 1977 which prevailed in the country after the emergency against the Congress. He said the current Lok Sabha election was being fought by the people as their own fight against the Congress and the SAD. He admitted that there was a triangular contest for the Lok Sabha seats in the state. Mr Tohra also levelled corruption charges against the Badal government. He added that Mr Badal did not fulfil promises made during elections with the people like action against corrupt Congress ministers, punishment to erring police officers and corruption-free rule. Mr Tohra said Mr Badal had committed several "sins" but he did not want to uproot the tree planted by him. He said during the regime of an Akali government, attacks were being made on the Sikh institutions, traditions and Panthic ideology. Lashing out at the Congress, he alleged that the Congress had fielded Mr Shamsher Singh Dullo as its candidate in the election. This person was considered a "King of the corruption". He also said that Mrs Sonia Gandhi’s "sanjivani" (elixir) could not infuse life into the "dead" Congress as it was a decomposed body. He held the Congress responsible for divisions among the people on caste lines by distributing party ticket in view of the population in several constituencies. Praising Mr Kanshi Ram, BSP leader, Mr Tohra said he (Kanshi Ram) brought out the dalits from the grip of the Congress in 14 years and made his party a strong one which was now in the fourth position in the list of national parties. He expressed the hope that the BSP would become a number two party and in the next election it would be on the top. He said Mahatma Gandhi deceived the dalits by showing them dreams, but now those dreams would be realised by Mr Kanshi Ram. He hoped that Mr Kanshi Ram would become in future the Prime Minister while he (Kanshi Ram) would give a chance to a son of a farmer of becoming the President of the country. Mr Mann Singh Manherra, who earlier was projected a candidate of the BSP for this Lok Sabha seat, cautioned the voters to beware of the "Scale", the election symbol of the SAD on the plea that it weighed "mera, mera" (mine, mine) instead of Baba Nanak’s scale which weighed "tera, tera" (yours, yours). He also read from a paper corruption allegations against Mr Shamsher Singh Dullo, Congress candidate, amounting to about Rs 30 crore. He also appealed the BSP workers to work for Bibi Balbir Kaur Khalsa’s victory and vote for her. Among others who
addressed the gathering were Mrs Balbir Kaur Khalsa, Mr
Jagjit Singh Rattangarh, an SGPC member from Morinda, Mr
Ranjit Singh Dumna, Vice-President of the SHSAD; Mr
Ujjagar Singh Wadali, district president of the SHSAD. |
||
Bardhan's call to rout SAD, BJP BATHINDA, Aug 30 — CPI General Secretary, A.B. Bardhan said current Lok Sabha elections were crucial for the future of the country in the next century and the people were to decide whether they wanted to keep the country secular or not. Talking to The Tribune he pointed out that the main fight between different parties of the country in the coming elections centred round secularism and communalism. The electorate would have to choose between secular or communal polity for India. He said his party was contesting the coming elections on the failure of the BJP-led coalition government on all fronts in its 17 months' rule and educating the people that communal menace of the BJP was very much pronounced in the country. He alleged that by following the "diktats" of America while handling the Kargil conflict, the BJP government proved that it could bow before anyone for survival. He added that after the Kargil conflict, it had become clear that security of the nation had been endangered in the hands of the BJP government. He pointed out that in the past 17 months the BJP government followed the economic policies and foreign policy which did not suit the interests of the country. The BJP government surrendered its economic sovereignty before multinational companies and sold Public Sector Units (PSUs) to the private business houses at throwaway prices. He said that at present the BJP and its allies did not have any programme garnering the votes of people and was banking on the face of Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee. The BJP and its allies were seeking votes on the personality of an individual while secular forces in the country were asking people to vote for stable, secular and strong India. He pointed out that secular forces, including the Congress the CPI and the CPM, had come on one platform to defeat the SAD-BJP alliance of communal forces in the coming elections. These forces had endangered the unity and integrity of the country, he added. He added that after the
failure of Mr Vajpayee in handling the Kargil intrusion
and to protect the minorities of the country, people had
decided to teach the present rulers a lesson and
beginning of the end of rule of communal forces in the
country had started. |
||
5-year-term for MPs to
‘save money’ MALERKOTLA, Aug. 30 — Mr Surjit Singh Barnala, the SAD-BJP candidate from Sangrur , addressing industrialists of Malerkotla at the industrial estate here today said if the National Democratic Alliance formed a government at the Centre its first task would be to amend the Constitution to make provision for a full five years term for Parliament. This step would be taken to lower election expenses. He accused the Congress of putting an extra burden of Rs 1000 crores on the public by ousting the Vajpayee government. The meeting was organised by the small scale industrialists of Malerkotla. A purse was presented to Mr Barnala by Mr Jagat Kathuria president of Laghu Udyog Bharti, Malerkotla. Later, Mr Barnala addressed an election rally organised by the Food Corporation of India Workers Union at Shagun Palace here. Mr Avtar Singh Mandhevi , general secretary of the District Sangrur unit of SAD and a loyalist of Mr Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa campaigned for Mr Barnala at Sanghla. He said it was wrong to say that Dhindsa loyalists were not supporting Mr Barnala. Mr Barnala asked voters to decide whether they wanted a 'videshi' ruler or an Indian to be the Prime Minister. Addressing the rally at Sanghla Mr Barnala said Sonia Gandhi did not know much about the culture and languages of the country. He alleged that Mr
Simranjit Singh Mann was an 'outsider' who had no link
with the voters of this constituency. |
||
Ayodhya not in NDA manifesto: BJP LUDHIANA, Aug 30 (PTI) — The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) would romp home with a comfortable majority in the coming Lok Sabha election, Mr Kalraj Mishra, a senior BJP leader and PWD Minister in Uttar Pradesh, claimed here today. He was here on a two-day election tour of Punjab in support of the Akali-BJP combine candidates. In Uttar Pradesh, his party would definitely improve the tally from 60 in the 1998 Lok Sabha elections, he claimed. In reply to a question on Ayodhya, he said that his party would abide by the NDA manifesto which did not contain any reference to Ayodhya on the uniform civil code. He challenged the Congress to come out with "specific proof" on Ms Sonia Gandhi's allegation of pay-offs in the telecom package. On the issue of inclusion of Udham Singh Nagar in the proposed state of Uttaranchal, he said the BJP was committed to abiding by the decision of the committee that had been formed in this regard. BATALA (FOC): Mr Narinder Modi, General Secretary of the BJP, addressed a rally at Dharampura Colony here on Sunday in favour of the BJP-SAD candidate, Mr Daya Singh Sodhi. He said the Congress had
topped the Vajpayee government because having ruled the
country for more than 45 years, it did not want the BJP
to remain in power at the Centre. |
||
Two arrested for murdering
boy GARHSHANKAR, Aug 30 — Balwinder Singh and his father, Tarsem Singh, have been arrested for allegedly strangulating a four-and-a-half-year old child, Sandip Singh, of Basiala village to death on August 26. According to the SSP, Mr Rajinder Mittal, here today the child was first kidnapped by Balwinder Singh while he was playing and then strangulated to death in a nearby field. Later on with the help of Tarsem Singh the body was wrapped in a bag and then thrown into the well. On interrogation, this was stated by the accused , the SSP said. A case has been registered under Sections 302 and 201, IPC. Meanwhile Bhupinder Singh of Bhajjlan village, who had killed his father on August 20, was arrested by Garhshankar police. Bhupinder Singh who had
come from England a month back, sought money from his
father for going back to England. The father refused and
this led to the crime. |
||
Punjab Minister sees SAD-BJP
wave BATHINDA, Aug 30 — Punjab Food Minister Chiranji Lal Garg today claimed that development works carried out by the Punjab government in the past two and a half years in the state would pay rich dividends in the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections. Addressing a press conference here after a whirlwind tour of 32 villages of Bathinda Assembly segments, Mr Garg said that a wave was there in favour of SAD-BJP alliance candidate, Mr Chitan Singh Samao. He pointed out that there was enthusiasm among electorate over friendship of Mr Parkash Singh Badal and Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee who were making efforts to make India strong, stable and self-reliant in the coming century. He pointed out that a large number of students and Hindu religious organisations had assured him that they would vote for the SAD-BJP candidate. He claimed that more than 500 workers of the Congress had joined the SAD at today’s meeting at Bir Talab village. He added that Bathinda was a traditional stronghold of Akalis and it would remain so in future also as the CPI had failed to erode Akali base. He said that all SAD and BJP workers had been mobilised for the campaign of Mr Samao he would win with big margin. He disclosed that the
Punjab government would protect the interests of members
of the Dhodhi Union. |
||
New Punjab BSP chief after
poll ROPAR, Aug 30 — The Secretary of the Punjab Unit of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), Mr Mann Singh Manherra, stated that soon after the Lok Sabha elections, the state unit chief of the BSP would be appointed in place of Mr C.D. Kamboj, who had recently joined the Congress. Talking to mediapersons at Chamkaur Sahib yesterday, Mr Manherra said there was no adverse impact on the election campaign of the BSP and its allies after the departure of Mr Kamboj from the BSP. In reply to a question, he said that the BSP was not fighting the elections without a party chief in the state as there were a number of persons who could run the election campaign smoothly in the state in the absence of a regular president. Mr Manherra said the party had an impression that along with Mr Kamboj, the Kamboj community in the state would follow him but it did not happen. In reply to a question,
he said despite an alliance with the Sarb Hind Shiromani
Akali Dal, which did not like the Congress, his party
could shake hands with the Congress after elections if
the Congress offered the BSP the post of Prime Minister
for Mr Kanshi Ram. |
||
Nawanshahr SSP shifted CHANDIGARH, Aug 30 — On the directions of the Election Commission, the Punjab Government today ordered the transfer of Senior Superintendent of Police, Mr Surinder Singh Sodhi, from Nawanshahr. He is being replaced by Mr R.P. Meena. Earlier the EC had ordered the transfer of SSPs of Faridkot and Ludhiana. Mr Preetinder Singh, Assistant Sub-Inspector, Baba Bakala, has also been transferred and posted to the Police Lines, Amritsar. Meanwhile, the
commission has directed the state to stay the decision to
grant four-tier pay scales to certain categories of
officials whose initial pay scale was Rs 2200-4000 at the
entry stage. This would be implemented after the
elections. |
||
Vote for Cong would be
disaster: Kainth NAWANSHAHR, Aug 30 — Mr Satnam Kainth, SAD-BJP BSM nominee for Phillaur Lok Sabha constituency, while addressing an election rally here yesterday evening, cautioned the people against voting for the Congress as it would prove disastrous for the country as Mrs Sonia Gandhi was both a foreigner and inexperienced. Using rhetorical language he asked the people to imagine what would happen if a bus was given to a driver who neither had a learner licence nor had any knowledge of the path or destination. Speaking on the Kargil
issue Mr Kainth said it was only due to the
farsightedness of Mr Vajpayee that India had won on the
military front but had also won the diplomatic battle. |
||
 |
||
 |
| Nation
| Haryana | Himachal Pradesh | Jammu & Kashmir | Chandigarh | | Editorial | Business | Sport | | Mailbag | Spotlight | World | 50 years of Independence | Weather | | Search | Subscribe | Archive | Suggestion | Home | E-mail | |
