Monday, February 8, 1999
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P U N J A B | |
Monday, February 8, 1999 |
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spotlight today's calendar |
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Cong
workers lathi-charged Badal,
Tohra urged to resign |
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BJP to
support Badal in curbing militancy Thakre
to visit Punjab Kewal
Singh must quit: "panj piaras" Debate
sought on poverty Main
issues on the backburner: MP Travel
agent held in fraud case |
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Cong workers lathi-charged BHOLATH (Kapurthala), Feb 7 — The police today lathi-charged and later detained Congress leader Sukhpal Singh Khaira and over 200 party activists at Pandori village near here. They were holding a black-flag march to the venue of a function of Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal. The announcement by Mr Khaira, to hold the march resulted in several arrests in the district in the early part of the day. The march was planned in protest against a number of issues, particularly the repeated personal attacks by Mr Badal and his son on Mrs Sonia Gandhi and Mr Amarinder Singh, PPCC chief, the poor state of roads in the Bholath constituency and a "complete ban" on all development activities in the area, the recent increase in urea prices, "discrimination" against Dalits and weaker sections and rampant corruption. Talking to mediapersons, Mr Khaira accused Mr Badal of "tampering" with the democratic process and of being anti-farmer, anti-minorities, anti-Dalit and anti-trader. He said the sole aim of Mr Badal was to promote the interests of his family. Meanwhile, some media photographers also complained of police high-handedness. "My camera was snatched by policemen on the instructions of Senior Superintendent of Police Iqbal Singh and the film was taken away," Anil Sharma, photographer of a leading English daily, told PTI, adding he was also manhandled by policemen, despite identifying himself. Addressing a public
meeting after laying the foundation stone of a building
of sub-divisional complex at a cost Rs 5.50 crore at
Bholath village, Mr Parkash Singh Badal said that peace
and law and order in the state would not be allowed to be
disturbed. |
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Badal, Tohra urged to resign BATHINDA, Feb 7 — The Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) general secretary, Mr Birdevinder Singh today urged the Chief Minister, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, the SGPC President, Mr G.S. Tohra, and the Jathedars of Akal Takht, Damdama Sahib and Kesgarh Sahib, Bhai Ranjit Singh, Giani Kewal Singh and Prof Manjit Singh, to resign from office to maintain peace and communal harmony in the state. Mr Birdevinder Singh, who was addressing a Press conference here today, alleged that these five persons were responsible for giving a boost to religious fundamentalism. The "fight for supremacy" among Akali leaders had created such a situation in Punjab that right-thinking people apprehended that terrorism could come back. He demanded that the BJP-led government at the Centre should send a team to examine the situation and take appropriate action. He said the Congress would not allow anybody to disturb the peace in Punjab. He urged the state government to make foolproof security arrangements for those visiting the Golden Temple. When asked whether the government action in sending policemen in plain clothes into the Golden Temple complex was justified, he said it was the prerogative of the government to take any action to prevent violence. He said the threat of "Khooni Baisakhi" held out by the Jathedar of Akal Takht was very serious and it was the right time for the state government to take preventive measures. Regarding the "Deg Teg Feteh Sarbans Danni Shardha Yatra" being organised by the Congress, he said Ms Sonia Gandhi would participate in it. She would receive the "Dashmesh Jyoti" brought from Patna by party workers on April 6 in Delhi. The yatra would begin from Gurdwara Dukhniwaran Sahib in Patiala on April 7. Regarding the performance
of the state government, he said due to fiscal
mismanagement and lack of vision, it had become bankrupt.
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Violence against Sikh tenets:
Bhinder GURDASPUR, Feb 7 — Senior Congress leader Ms Sukhbans Kaur Bhinder here today said that Akal Takht is the supreme temporal authority of the Sikhs and its Jathedar is the most respected man amongst the Sikhs in the world. She, however, said that the message from the highest seat of authority of the Sikhs should be one of peace and harmony and not violence. Moreover, Akal Takht Jathedar talking of violence to maintain Sikh tenets was anti-Sikh, she added. Ms Bhinder said the volatile situation created in the state was the result of factional fighting amongst SAD leaders. She warned Akali leadership that the current situation was similar to that prevailing during the time of terrorism in Punjab and could lead to disturbances in the state. She warned Mr Badal that eulogising terrorists would accelerate violence in the state while referring to his participation in the bhog of Harminder Singh, former general secretary of the AISSF, where much was talked about Khalistan. She also criticised Mr Tohra for using his religious office "to protect his petty political ends". She favoured expeditious trial of Sikh detainees in jails. Those found guilty should be punished and those found innocent released at the earliest she added. Ms Bhinder said Mr Badal's weak stand on exclusion of Udham Singh Nagar in the proposed Uttaranchal state had virtually paved the way for the merger of Udham Singh Nagar in Uttaranchal. She accused Akali leadership of being silent over raising the long-standing demands of the Punjabis including the merger of Chandigarh and left-out Punjabi-speaking areas in Punjab and the distribution of river water. Levelling charges of corruption against Mr Badal and his family, she said vacancies of drivers were being filled by charging Rs 1 lakh per appointment. Signatures of the recruiting authority had been obtained by the Badal family on plain papers in order to issue appointment letters, she added. She said the marketing
board, which was responsible for the rural development of
the state, had been made ineffective and funds to the
tune of Rs 300 crore during the current year had been
diverted to Faridkot and Muktsar districts. |
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BJP to support Badal in
curbing militancy BATHINDA, Feb 7 — The Punjab Food Minister, Mr Madan Mohan Mittal, said here yesterday that the government would take stern action against those forces which were trying to disturb peace and law and order situation in the state. Addressing a press conference, he said the SAD-BJP combine government was committed to its common minimum programme (CMP) released before the last Assembly election that writ of law would prevail in the state. When asked whether the government was contemplating any action against Bhai Ranjit Singh, Jathedar of Akal Takht, for his demand for a Sikh homeland, he said it was the state government which could take decision in this regard. "As an individual, I would not like to comment on the activities of Bhai Ranjit Singh," he added. He said the BJP had adopted "wait and watch" policy on the activities of Bhai Ranjit Singh. He said the BJP would lend support to Mr Parkash Singh Badal to deal with the forces trying to disturb peace. When asked whether he agreed with the statement of BJP MLA Mrs Laxmi Kanta Chawla that Mr Badal should not have attended the bhog ceremony of Harminder Singh Sandhu, a close aide of late Sant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, a few days back, Mr Mittal said, "I neither agreed with the statement of Mrs Chawla nor endorse it". He declined to disclose how the government would take action against those who were trying to bring back militancy in Punjab. He also declined to make any comment on the entry of the police into the Golden Temple. Mr Mittal, who is chairman of the Cabinet sub-committee constituted by Mr Badal for laying the "code of conduct" for ministers, said the sub-committee would finish its job within one month. He said declaration of assets by ministers would be one of the items of the code of conduct. He said the Chief Secretary of Punjab had not yet submitted the required documents about the laying down of the code of conduct. He added that the main purpose of laying down of the code of conduct was that people should be given a clean administration. He said there was no harm in holding an all-party meeting to discuss ways and means to consolidate peace in Punjab. He said the state unit of the BJP was in favour of transfer of Chandigarh and other Punjabi-speaking areas to Punjab and fair distribution of river waters according to riparian principles. He said he had ordered a
probe into the damaging of wheat in the godowns of the
FCI situated on the Raman-Talwandi Sabo road. He added
that Deputy Director, Food and Supply, Ferozepore, had
been asked to submit his report in this regard by
Wednesday. |
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Kewal Singh must quit:
"panj piaras" TALWANDI SABO, Feb 7 — The ongoing crises in the Sikh Panth today took a new turn when a committee of "panj piaras" nominated by various Sikh religious and social organisations and heads of gurdwaras of Bathinda district today demanded the resignation of the Jathedar of Takht Damdama Sahib, Giani Kewal Singh, for "challenging" the authority of Akal Takht. Giani Kewal Singh, who has fired a salvo against Akal Takht chief Ranjit Singh, charging him with lowering the dignity of the Takht by taking arbitrary decisions, has already offered to resign in the larger interests of the Panth. The "panj piaras" committee, including Mr Harpal Singh, president, Khalsa Diwan Siri Guru Singh Sabha, Giani Baldev Singh, Mr Harbans Singh, Mr Baljinder Singh and Mr Ranjit Singh, pointed out that Akal Takht was above the other Takhts and nobody, including the SGPC, could question its authority. The committee said Akal Takht was formed by Guru Hargobind, while other Takhts were formed by the Panth later. The committee alleged that after a probe it had found that Giani Kewal Singh had "deliberately" lowered the dignity of Akal Takht and tried to equate other Takhts with Akal Takht. The committee, in a letter delivered to Giani Kewal Singh by a special jatha from Bathinda, appealed to him to step down from his post and present himself before Akal Takht for an apology. The committee also alleged
that Giani Kewal Singh had no right to continue as
Jathedar, Takht Damdama Sahib, as his relatives were
facing criminal cases. It may be mentioned here that the
daughter-in-law of Giani Kewal Singh died under
mysterious circumstances in the premises of Takht Damdama
Sahib two years ago. |
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Debate sought on poverty ROPAR, Feb 7 — Mr Devabrata Biswas, general secretary of the All-India Forward Bloc, today demanded a national debate on issues like unemployment, illiteracy, poverty and backwardness instead of religious conversions as suggested by Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee. Talking to newsmen here today, Mr Biswas said there was need for awareness among the masses as democracy was in danger because the country was being run by bureaucrats, politicians, capitalists and anti-social elements who always tried to turn the attention of the public from the basic issues to remain in power. Mr Biswas said in the present set-up, 20 per cent of the people had been amassing wealth while the rest were becoming poorer day by day. He held the Congress responsible for this plight of the country. Now the BJP was following similar policies. The general secretary said his party was in search of a third option for which it had to go to the public. He announced that his party would not support the Congress if it formed a government at the Centre. Mr Biswas said religious and political leaders were supreme in their respective fields, but religion and politics should not be mixed for achieving political goals. Mr Biswas said the central government had been hiding many facts relating to Netaji's disappearance. His party would now expose the government during the "Netaji Chetna Yatras" to be started from Kanyakumari (March 2), Jammu, Mairang and Mumbai (March 14) and Cuttack (March 17). He said there were three demands of his party: first, about 10,000 documents and files of the INA lying in the intelligence departments of different states should be made public and classified documents should be declassified, second, the Union Government should approach foreign governments to provide scholars the right to study documents related to Netaji, and third, the Union Government should issue a White Paper on Netaji's disappearance to settle the issue, after appointing a high-level commission to probe the matter. Mr V.P. Saini, chairman of
the Netaji Research Foundation here, said a countrywide
Netaji awareness campaign had been in progress since
January 23. |
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Main issues on the backburner:
MP PHAGWARA, Feb 7 — Former Union Minister and president of the Punjab Bhalai Manch Balwant Singh Ramoowalia yesterday observed that the Akalis were being repeatedly rebuffed by the Centre with several of their demands being rejected because the latter had neither the will nor any mechanism to influence decisions of the BJP-led coalition government. Addressing mediapersons here, the MP alleged that the BJP was aware of the Akalis' "vulgar lust" for ministries and "lack of interest" in Punjab issues. That was the reason why was Ms Jayalalitha and Mr Chandra Babu Naidu could wrest concessions for their states while the Punjab CM had to return "empty-handed" on more than one occasion. He regretted that the main issues confronting Punjab had been placed on the backburner, while non-issues had taken the front seat. Mr Ramoowalia refused to entertain any question on the Sikh clergy. He, however, held that the Khalsa tercentenary celebrations should be held as per the preachings of Guru Gobind Singh who stood for a tolerant, composite, casteless and just society. Asked whether the agenda should be "quami", he said it should be a "Bharti agenda". He criticised the Bajrang
Dal and the Shiv Sena for the recent attacks on
Christians and said the incidents had tarnished India's
"secular" image in the eyes of the
international community. |
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Travel agent held in fraud case NANGAL, Feb 7 — Ten rural youths from Anandpur, Mukerian and Nangal, who paid Rs 50,000 each to a travel agent from Anandpur, Sansar Chand Narota, for going to Doha, Qatar, for a job knew little that they were being taken for a ride. Sansar Chand had promised them a job at Doha in an English engineering company for a salary of 1,000 rayals per month, which came to about Rs 10,000, and other benefits, including medical and lodging facilities. They were also told that their air ticket included the return ticket. However, when these youths reached Doha, a different fate awaited them. The company in which they were offered jobs was not an English company but a local one. They were paid 200 rayals per month with which they could just make their both ends meet. After five months, dejected with the working conditions, when they tried to use their return tickets, they were told that their tickets were invalid. Moreover, their visas turned out to be tourist visas valid for six months only. Seven of them managed their return tickets with the help of NRI's residing there. After returning to India when they asked Sansar Chand to give their money back, he declined to do so and threatened them with dire consequences. One of the youths, Vijay Paul Singh of Nangal, lodged a complaint against Sansar Chand at the local police station and a case was registered under Sections 406 and 420, IPC. Sansar Chand has been
denied bail by the Sessions Court. The case has to come
up for hearing on February 10. |
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Plea to democratise Wakf Board PATIALA, Feb 7 — Urdu scholar and member of the Central Wakf Council, Prof Akhtarul Wassey, today demanded immediate democratisation of the Punjab Wakf Board in the interest of the Muslim community. Addressing a press conference here, Prof Wassey said ad hocism in the Board had resulted in members not being able to do justice to their jobs. He said the board was also not taking up any community programmes on a large-scale due to lack of accountability. He said though the central government had enacted an Act in 1995 to democratise the functioning of all Wakf boards, a common board of Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and the Chandigarh known as the Punjab Wakf Board, was yet to be democratised. He said the government should take initiatives to democratise the Board at the earliest. Prof Wassey, who is Head
of the Department of Islamic Studies at the University of
Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, underlined the need for
vocational education to children, especially the Muslim
community. He said the Wakf Board should also undertake
public welfare projects like opening of schools and
hospitals. |
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Ban demanded on Bhatti's movie JALANDHAR, Feb 7 (UNI) — The Punjab Police Service Association (PPSA) today demanded ban on Jaspal Bhatti’s movie "Mahaul Theek Hai", saying it maligned the force by depicting its officers as drunkard, corrupt and concocters of false cases against innocent people. A resolution to this effect adopted at the association meeting held here under the presidentship of Mr Bachan Singh Randhawa urged the Punjab Government to ban the movie and take stern action against its producer Jaspal Bhatti because the movie undermined police-public relationship by painting a "wrong" picture about the force in the public mind, it claimed. The association said if the government did not take any action, it would be forced to take action on its own. The film is a satire on the functioning of the Punjab Police. In a series of resolutions passed at the meeting. The association reiterated its demand for repatriation of officers of central para-military forces on deputation with the Punjab Police, adding no para-military officer should be merged in the Punjab Police cadre because it prevented promotion of PPSA officers even after completion of six to eight years of service. The association said resentment prevailed among the PPSA officers because of lack of promotion to them. It demanded that all those PPSA officers, who had put in six to eight years of service, should be promoted to the rank of Superintendent of Police. The association also demanded sanction of posts of SPs and DSPs in various districts. The association demanded 25 per cent risk allowance for all police personnel doing duty with VIPs and officers on hit list of terrorists on the pattern of the allowance given to security staff on duty with the Chief Minister of Punjab. The association demanded
parity between PPS and PCS officers in respect of
postings, pay-scales, time scales and promotion because
both functioned at sub-division levels in the state. |
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Man posing as constable held GURDASPUR, Feb 7 — The police today arrested Bhupinder Singh of Jhakhialari village under Pathankot subdivision who was allegedly extorting money from truck drivers on the Sujanpur-Madhopur road near Ashirwad Dhaba, Sujanpur. Mr Varinder Kumar, SSP, said the police recovered fake identity card showing him constable of the Punjab Police, Amritsar. Later, the police raided his residence and recovered rubber stamps of various district transport officers and papers relating to fake registration of vehicles. As many as 10 fake licences of vehicles were also recovered. He said the accused in his
preliminary investigation confessed to having issued 1000
licences and charged Rs 500 per licence. The Pathankot
Sadar police has registered a case under Sections 171,
419, 420, 467, 468, 471 and 473 of the IPC against him. |
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Two escape from detention centre HOSHIARPUR, Feb 7 (UNI) — Two teenaged boys, including a Pakistani national, today escaped from the Children Detention Centre at Ram Colony camp on the city's outskirts, the police said. The centre's watchman, Sarup Singh, and Punjab Home Guard jawan, Som Nath, who were on duty at the time of escape of Javed Ahmed and Santokh were also found missing and their complicity in the boys' escape was not ruled out by the police. The police has registered
a case under Sections 223 and 224 of the IPC on a
complaint lodged by Centre Superintendent Satwinder Kaur. |
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BSP flays police deployment FEROZEPORE, Feb 7 — The state unit of the Bahujan Samaj Party has condemned the police deployment around the Golden Temple complex at Amritsar. Talking to The Tribune here today, the party's Vice-President, Mr Lal Singh Sulhani, demanded that the Centre should immediately dissolve the Badal government in order to check the recurrence of "black" days of militancy in Punjab. Lauding the role of the
Akal Takht Jathedar, Bhai Ranjit Singh, the BSP leader
said he was raising his voice for principles and
traditions of Sikh Panth. He urged Mr Parkash Singh Badal
to stop interfering in religious matters. |
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Ex-servicemen's body elects
new chief LUDHIANA, Feb 7 — Lt-Col Chanan Singh (retd) was elected president of the Indian Ex-Services League, Punjab and Chandigarh, at a meeting held here today at which all 17 district unit presidents were present. The president was authorised to appoint other members of the executive body. It was resolved at the
meeting that the district units should make concerted
efforts to enrol the maximum number of members. Social
problems of Ex-servicemen, widows and their dependants
would be given top priority. |
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Japanese loan sought for water scheme MOGA, Feb 7 (UNI) — Following the refusal of the World Bank to finance the Punjab Government’s Rs 400 crore rural water supply scheme, the government has decided to seek loan from the Japanese Government for the scheme. This was stated by Punjab Public Health and Civil Aviation Minister Raja Narinder Singh while talking to newsmen here yesterday. According to the minister, Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and he had held talks with the Japanese Ambassador to India, during, his recent visit to Chandigarh. The Ambassador had assured to help the state government to implement the scheme, he said. The government was
awaiting the reply of the Japanese Government in this
respect, the minister added. |
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500 schools to be upgraded MOGA, Feb 7 — The Education Department has decided to streamline school education in the state for this purpose about 500 schools from the next academic year would be upgraded. The proposal in this respect would be put before the Council of Ministers for its approval. Stating this here yesterday Minister for Primary Education, Mr Tota Singh, said courses in those schools would be discontinued from the next academic session where students had not enrolled themselves for the past two years. He said that majority of such schools were in rural areas. Mr Tota Singh, who was speaking to newsmen here, said that those teachers who had manipulated their postings in urban areas would be transferred back to rural areas. He also said that the
government had decided not to make unnecessary transfers
in future. |
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Thakre to visit Punjab PHAGWARA, Feb 7 — The Bharatiya Janata, party chief, Kushabhau Thakre will come on a one-day visit to Punjab on February 20, according to Mr Daya Singh Sodhi, president of the Punjab unit of the BJP. The disclosed this here yesterday at a press conference held after the conclusion of a meeting of party's state office-bearers, district presidents and secretaries. During his visit. Thakre will address a meeting of state BJP's executive members, MLAs, chairmen of boards, heads of frontal wings, district and block presidents and secretaries, besides holding a press conference, disclosed Sodhi. The meeting adopted resolutions for constructing party's office in Sector 37 at Chandigarh, holding training camps, organising jan jagran drive from February 11 to March 19. He also supported the
demand of rice-sheller owners and paddy growers. |
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