Saturday, September 4, 1999
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N E W S Saturday, September 4, 1999 |
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weather spotlighttoday's calendar |
Campaigning ends with
peaceful CHANDIGARH, Sept 3 — Campaigning for the lone Chandigarh Lok Sabha seat, which came to an end at 5 this evening, has witnessed an unprecedented flag war. Uni-, bi- and tricolour flags of all 16 candidates or their parties not only adorned labour colonies, villages, residential and commercial areas in the Union Territory but also bicycles, rickshaws, rehris, scooters besides the vehicles used by candidates for campaigning. Compared to the last elections, the use of flags has been more this time. The flag war, which started from labour colonies, gradually spread to commercial areas — rehri markets and the shopping centres. Subsequently, rallies by rickshaw workers in support of one candidate or the other and scooter rallies during the past few days saw the city being swarmed by colourful flags. For the past few days, flags-adorned vehicles and carrying loudspeakers made rounds of the city canvassing support for one candidate or the other. Interestingly, the number of vehicles used for making such announcements has, like flags, multiplied this time. Though the Election Commission suggested minimal use of plastic flags, banners and badges, the candidates here generally ignored this suggestion. Other major mode of campaigning this time has been use of handbills which were mostly distributed with the morning supply of newspapers. Some of the candidates, including Independents, also used newspapers to reach out their electorate in Chandigarh. Liquor, like previous elections, continues to be a major attraction of campaigning in labour colonies, villages and some other areas. Though the police has made substantial recoveries from various parts of the city, free distribution of the cheaper brands of liquor did influence electioneering. Though a majority of the candidates this time resorted to door-to-door canvassing, holding of corner meetings or addressing small rallies, in the mornings and the evenings, the campaigning did not witness any major election rallies by national leaders. The only exception was a rally addressed by the prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee. The observers, including the Expenditure Observer, kept a close watch on spending by each candidate. At times, some of the Independent candidates were seen completing their entries in the expenditure register given to them to maintain accounts outside the office of the Returning Officer. Only a few candidates used bigger vehicles for canvassing. The concept of raths for canvassing has gradually come down. With the exception of one or two candidates, the vehicles mostly used by candidates were heavier diesel motor vehicles, including Tata Safari, Tata Sierra and Tata Sumo, while a few others used their personal Marutis and also Gypsies for electioneering work. The campaigning mostly remained peaceful as no untoward incident or clash between workers of opposing candidates was reported from anywhere in the Union Territory. In some areas, after initial reluctance, the electorate joined campaigning. Very few election offices were set up this time. Most of the candidates preferred to have their headquarters at their residences than have an independent main election or campaign control office. At a few places, election offices by pitching of shamianas came up. But they were not many. The number of debates the principal candidates had with the electorate were fewer this time compared to the last election in March, 1998. Use of cellular phones was frequent and substantial in electioneering this time. After 5 this evening,
the candidates are officially not allowed to canvass any
more. There was, however, some confusion whether the
candidates can address press conferences after the
curtain was rung down on campaigning. |
Restriction on vehicles CHANDIGARH, Sept 3 — Movement of vehicles with the intention of transporting voters to the polling booths has been banned in Chandigarh on the day of polling on Sunday. Each polling agent of a political party, has, however, been allowed one vehicle for personal use with the prior permission of the Returning Officer-cum-Deputy Commissioner, Mr M. Ramsekhar. Each candidate is also allowed a vehicle for his own self for movement within the constituency. The permitted vehicles will have to display the permission on their windshields. Families or group of persons travelling in vehicles, are not covered under this ban. However, all such vehicles will stop 200 metres short of the polling booths and the police on duty will ensure this. The police will also be asked to keep a check on vehicles that ferry voters as such a thing is an electoral malpractice, Mr M. Ramsekhar said, while adding that the order had been issued under Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure ( Cr.P.C.). Those found violating the ban will be booked under Section 171 of the Indian Penal Code. Meanwhile, for the protection of electronic voting machines (EVMs) the five counting centres — at GCG, Sector 42, Government College, Sector 46, Government College of Education , Sector 20, Central Polytechnic , Sector 26 and Government College, Sector 11 — have been provided with a strongroom each that will be heavily guarded by the CRPF. Each centre will be under the charge of an Executive Magistrate while a DSP will head the security unit at each of the centres. All the five buildings where the EVMs will be kept after polling have been totally sealed and will have only one entry. The seal is such that the windows of the rooms have been covered with cement and brick wall for extra protection. The only entry will be through a wooden door that will have double locks. Each EVM will be kept in a specially designed briefcase. The protection would be the same as in case of the iron cast ballot boxes, election authorities said. The batteries of the EVMs will remain in the machine but the machine will be switched off after polling ends. On the day of counting the memory chip in which all the polled votes will be stored will tell the results. Meanwhile, the local
police has posted 3, 378 personnel from tomorrow morning
till the polling is over. Police parties have been asked
to report at the five counting centres, from where
distribution of polling material will start at 7.30 a.m.
As soon as the staff takes their material the parties
detailed would be responsible for the security of the
material, including the electronic voting machines,
police sources said. |
516 whisky bottles seized Chandigarh, Sept 3 — In its continuing drive to check the distribution of liquor on the eve of elections, the police has seized 516 bottles of whisky, besides 86 pouches and 26 quarters of liquor from various parts of the city. Personnel of the Crime Branch Operations (CBO) Cell manning a naka near The Tribune roundabout stopped a Maruti car (CHOIY 0635) for routine checking and found 10 cases of whisky on the back seat of the car. On questioning, the driver identified himself as Kajheri resident Kesar Singh and revealed that he was taking the liquor to his village from an L-1 godown in Industrial Area Phase II. The police party accompanied him to the godown (plot number 27/ 7) and found a Maruti van parked in front of the factory. Upon searching it, nine case of whisky were recovered. The driver of the van, Arvind Kumar, and his companions Bhim Sen, Krishan Mahajan and Ram Nivas were taken into custody. With the exception of Ram Nivas, all are residents of Sector 42. The matter was brought to the notice of senior officers and Mr A.A. Farooqi, SSP, Operations, reached the spot. Officials of the Excise Department also reached the venue and sealed the godown. Similarly, Panchkula residents Resham Singh and Brij Lal were arrested from near the Sectors 22-35 roundabout while carrying 20 cases of whisky in their truck. Dadu Majra colony residents Channa Ram, Suresh Kumar, Jora Singh and Kewal Krishan, were arrested from the colony and 48 bottles and 36 pouches of whisky recovered from them, collectively. Bhagwati Prasad, a resident of Maloya colony was arrested for possessing 50 pouches of whisky. Bapu Dham resident Manoj Kumar was arrested and 26 quarters of whisky were recovered from him. Cases under the Excise
Act have been registered. |
Finance co. promoters nabbed CHANDIGARH, Sept 3 — In a stepped-up drive against those involved in white collar crimes, the Economic Offences Cell of the Chandigarh police claims to have arrested suspects who had absconded in at least two cases while making another arrest in the recent Punjab State Cooperative Bank fraud case. Along the mounting pendency of cases in the cell, the number of persons declared "proclaimed offenders" or "absconders" too has risen. In some cases, even the wanted persons continued with their activities here unchecked, though officially they were declared "absconders" or "proclaimed offenders". As a part of the special drive, scrutiny of all pending cases has been taken up. One of the major breakthroughs that has come up following this drive concerns Akansha House Finance Company. After allegedly duping a large number of investors, the promoters of the company had disappeared. The company used to operate from Sector 45 here. The Economic Offences Wing has nabbed two of the key promoters of this company, Nagesh Kumar Singh and Om Parkash Singh, from Rae Bareilly. After their arrest, the police obtained their police remand until September 2 but an application moved on behalf of the arrested persons in the District Courts in Rae Bareilly restrained the police from taking them away. The police had to file another application to get their fresh remand. The arrested persons are likely to be produced before the Ilaqa Magistrate tomorrow. The police has already recovered passbooks, receipts and other incriminating documents relating to the Akansha House Society and investments made in its name have been recovered from the possession of the arrested persons. The police conducted searches at their houses in Rae Bareilly. Bank accountant held In the Punjab State Cooperative Bank fraud case, the cell has arrested Nand Lal Mittel, an accountant with the Sector 47 branch of the bank. He belongs to Mundi Kharar, near here. It may be recalled that two promoters of a finance company have already been arrested and at least four cases, in which loans fraudulently taken, were "misused". Husband caught In yet another case solved by the cell, the husband of a woman, who had taken up a job as a clerk in Punjab Agricultural and Land Development Bank on the basis of a letter purportedly written by the Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister of Punjab to the Managing Director of the Bank, has been arrested. The management of the
bank, suspecting the letter to be forged had complained
to the police. On verification, it was found that no such
letter asking the management to give permanent job of a
clerk to the wife of the arrested person was written by
the Chief Minister's Secretariat. The main suspect in the
case, after rejection of his application for anticipatory
bail, had been absconding for almost a month. |
71 voters in 1 house —
verification today CHANDIGARH, Sept 3 — Faced with a unique problem that 71 voters have been listed in the list of a single house in Sector 23-D, the Returning Officer, Mr M. Ramsekhar, today ordered that the list be verified and a physical verification of those in the list be carried out before allowing any of the 62, who do not live in the house, to cast a vote. A total of 71 voters are listed as residents of house number 3657 in Sector 23. In reality, only nine live in the house. Interestingly, 63 of the voters mentioned in the list have been issued voter photo-identity cards of the Election Commission of India. The returning officer said there are various possibilities on how so many names appear against one house number: Firstly, the same names also appear on the supplementary list of 1998. This list was merged with the main list while carrying out a revision in July this year. Secondly, a large number of rickshaw-pullers and homeless people give their addresses that are just ''care of'' the sector markets where they usually sleep at night. Since these people have no homes, the house numbers are not mentioned in the I-cards and all such names are added when the list for the sector is made. However, the list could have made a mention of such a thing, he admitted. Thirdly, it could be a clerical error, meaning that the house number next to 3657 got deleted while entering the names in the electoral rolls. The department has
miniature copies of the voter I-cards that can be used
for verification purposes. If these people are found to
be genuine, they will be allowed to cast their votes. A
decision on the same will be conveyed to the Presiding
Officer tomorrow. |
No ban on private vehicles PANCHKULA, Sept 3—The District Election Officer-cum-Deputy Commissioner today announced that there was no blanket ban on vehicular traffic on the polling day. He said the use of private vehicles by owners , not connected with elections,was not prohibited. However, no vehicle would be permitted within a radius of 200m of a polling station. The new order also
exempts employees of various organisations, government
and non-government, travelling to their place of work,
press persons with valid passes, vehicles used for
essential services and buses plying on fixed routes. |
Gaiety marks Janmashtami CHANDIGARH, Sept 3—Janmashtami was celebrated with religious fervour and gaiety in the city and the surrounding areas today. "Prabhat pheris", religious discourses and special prayers were the highlights of the day.Thousands of devotees, a majority of whom had kept fast for the day, lined up at the temple premises to pay obeisance and move the palanquin containing the idol of Lord Krishna. colourful "jhankies", put up by the Brahamkumaris at the Rajyoga Bhavan in Sector 33 here, were inaugurated by a Judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, Justice GS Singhvi. The "jhankies" depicted Sri Krishna, Sri Lakshmi and Meera. The Santoshi Seva Mandal celebrated Janamashtami with traditional fervour at Bapu Dham. In SAS Nagar, Brahamkumaris went to various temples and explained the spiritual significance of the festival. In Panchkula, the festival was celebrated with gaiety at all temples, including the Sanatan Dharam Radha Vrindavan Chander Mandir. The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) celebrated Sri Krishna Janmashtami with great enthusiasm at the tastefully decorated complex of Hare Krishna Dham, Sector 36-B, here today. Thousands of people thronged the temple on the occasion, according to Bhakti Vinod Dasa Prabhu, President of local body of ISKCON. A cultural programme was presented by children on the occasion. A souvenir was released at the time of “mangla aarti” in the morning which followed by kirtan by devotees throughout day and night. “Mahavisheka” ceremony of Lord Krishna was performed from 11.30 p.m. to 12 midnight. Afterwards, “prasadam” was distributed among the visitors. On September 4, ISKCON will celebrate the birthday of the founder Acharya of ISKCON Srila Prabhupada. Meanwhile a three-day “Vedic quiz contest”, conducted by ISKCON Youth Services from September 1, concluded here today. Twenty five teams from schools, colleges and university participated in it. Miss Rachita and Mr Shyam Sunder of Sanskrit Department, Panjab University, came first and Mr Gunanidhi and Miss Komal were second prize winners. The quiz included various topics like Vedic scriptures, personalities, places, culture and Vedic science. Tale of Krishna temples' ruin
CHANDIGARH, Sept 3 — On a day when the city is decorated to celebrate the birth of Lord Krishna, the viewing of Dr S.K. Kushwaha's photographs of desecrated wall paintings of this Hindu God, at the Indusind Art Gallery, Sector 8, comes as a rude awakening of man's sensibilities. The photographs of Dr Kushwaha, who is pursuing a doctorate in 'Kurukshetra Bhu Bhag Ke Bhitti Chitra', centre around various temples of the Kurukshetra region which have been apparently dilapidated, as seen in his 26 works. Some photographs show such compositions as the 'Krishna Leela', painted on the walls of Kapil-Tirth Temple or a totally ruined painting, from the walls of the temple of Sajuna that depicts Lord Krishna fondling a cow. Another beautiful rendition of the Kanhiya is documented in a photograph of the God from a haveli of Fatehpur Pinderi. Another picture of a painting of Krishna with Gopis, from the same haveli is also captivating. Two of the photographs that encapsulate the 'Darbar of Shri Yudishtarji', from the Dholi haveli in Pehawa, in which none of the faces of the figures are visible, seem to showcase how the heritage of our art and culture is being lost because of gross negligence. Going around this exhibition that presents a picture of scarred and cracked walls and deplorably decayed paintings, a sad tale of ruin and disaster is spelled before one's very eyes. The exhibition, which opened on September 1, would be on till September 15 from 10 am to 7 pm. Dr Kushwaha is the
Principal of the University College of Education,
Kurukshetra, and is also the Chairman of the Department
of Fine Arts, Kurukshetra University. |
Congress poser to BJP on taxes CHANDIGARH, Sept 3 — While claiming that it is heading for a win in the Union Territory, the local unit of the Congress, led by its candidate for the lone Lok Sabha seat , Mr Pawan Kumar, today asked Mr K.L. Sharma, the rival candidate from the BJP, to make his stand known on the issue of imposition of property, water and sewerage taxes, respectively, in the city. Addressing a joint press conference, Mr Bansal and Mr Harmohan Dhawan said that the BJP— SAD combine that is in power in the Municipal Corporation has written to the Chandigarh Administration demanding imposition of these taxes. A meeting of the corporation was scheduled for August 30 where the matter was to be discussed but it was postponed due to the ensuing poll, Mr Bansal alleged. A former Mayor, Mr Gyan Chand Gupta, has been supportive of these taxes, the Congress candidate alleged. It is these very people who are supporting Mr Sharma and it was his duty to make his stance known before going to the polls, Mr Dhawan added. On the issue of his winning the seat, Mr Bansal said the BJP base had eroded and it no more does enjoyed the support of the Sikh community, which supported the BJP in the two previous elections. Mr Bansal said that the BJP's claim that he (Bansal) was on the Rent Control Committee of the Union Urban Development Ministry when the Rent Control Act was passed, was baseless. He added: ''Such allegations only show the frustration of the BJP, which had alleged a few days ago that I was General Secretary of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee at the time when the Rajiv-Longowal accord was signed.'' Mr Harmohan Dhawan alleged that the BJP had been talking about morality and discipline for all these years but now it was showing its double standards as it was allegedly spending close to Rs 20 lakh just to supply liquor in the labour colonies of Chandigarh. He further alleged that several BJP workers from Delhi and Himachal Pradesh had been ''imported'' to create trouble. The local election authorities said no official complaint had been lodged by the Congress in this regard. Ending his campaign trail, Mr Bansal promised the regularisation of Chandigarh Housing Board flats where need-based alterations and additions have been carried out by the owners. Addressing a gathering in Sector 47, he also promised to simplify the conversion of leasehold property into freehold. He also emphasised the need to start a new scheme for the urban middle class and allotment of land to all registered cooperative house building societies. He would also oppose the imposition of any new taxes by the Municipal Corporation. He also addressed a gathering of Muslims in which he claimed that only the Congress can safeguard the interests of the minorities. The Congress also claimed that the Chandigarh Beopar Mandal was supporting it. In Burail village, Mr
Bansal was told that the Municipal Corporation did not
spend a single penny on the development of the village.
Mr Harmohan Dhawan also addressed a meeting in Bapu Dham. |
Voluntary bodies' appeal to voters CHANDIGARH, Sept 3 — Even as the city goes to the poll to elect its representative to the 13th Lok Sabha on September 5, two voluntary organisations have urged the voters to actively participate in the elections and use their franchise judiciously. The organisations —Jan Shakti and the Vigilant Voters Forum — while reminding the voters of their national duty to cast their vote have called upon the people to elect only those candidates who have a clean image and national interest uppermost in their minds. While the Jan Shakti has come out with a people's charter for the guidance of the voters, the other organisation is doing its job by distributing pamphlets among the voters. The charter urged the people to ask political parties to commit themselves for a corruption-free society by debarring their membership to the corrupt and commit to value-based politics with transparency. The candidates should also furnish the details of their assets every year. The charter, which is the result of over 60 open discussions since the last Lok Sabha poll in 1998, mooted a fresh mandate for the defectors and at least 51 per cent votes for the successful candidates. It wanted an explicit commitment by all parties to separate politics from caste, creed, religion and sectionalism. While demanding a higher percentage of the GDP to be spent on health, education and environment protection, the charter demanded a package of incentives and disincentives to check population growth. Empowerment of the poor so that funds and support system meant for the poor actually reached them was another major point in the charter. "The political parties which came to power should check inner instability caused by insurgency, extremism, proxy war and above all unemployment and poverty, and provide national security", it said, adding that the state should come out vigorously for the uplift of the poor. Urging the people to help promote a civil society with full respect for law and order by selecting right candidates, it wanted that the right to information should be made a fundamental right. While appealing to everybody to vote, the forum wanted the election of only those who were rooted in the soil and culture of India and those who know and respect the traditions of this vast nation. It wanted the voters to elect those who could eradicate hunger, unemployment, fear and corruption and make the country secure and prosperous. The forum urged that
only those should be voted to power who were defenders of
democracy and could be depended upon. |
'Muslims will vote for BJP' CHANDIGARH, Sept 3 — Nawabzada Salim Khan, Secretary of the Minority Morcha of the All-India Bharatiya Janata Party, said here today that there was not only a pro-Atal Behari Vajpayee wave but a storm sweeping the country on the eve of the elections to the 13th Lok Sabha. Talking to newsmen, Mr Khan said that in the last Lok Sabha elections, nearly 15 per cent of the Muslim electorate in the country voted for the BJP. This number would more than double this time, as a number of apprehensions in the minds of Muslims, who have remained most backward among all minorities in the country, have been removed. Besides, there was a planned campaign to keep Muslims backward by spreading all types of canards by painting the BJP as a communal party. During the 13-month rule of the BJP at the Centre, Mr Khan said, the Government sanctioned a Rs 26 crore project for renovation of historic Dargah Ajmer Sharief. Besides, he said, the BJP government had raised the subsistence allowance to all haj pilgrims from the existing Rs 5,500 to Rs 17,500 per head. Mr Khan said that after his extensive tour of Chandigarh in the past two days, he found that a vast majority of the Muslim vote would go in favour of the party candidate, Mr Krishan Lal Sharma. He said there was no better person than Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee to lead the country at this time. Talking about the Babri Masjid episode, he said that in larger interests of the country, there was a feeling in the Muslim community not to hold a grudge permanently, as only a commission could identify persons responsible for its demolition. Meanwhile, addressing an election rally, the BJP candidate, Mr Krishan Lal Sharma, said that an IIT would be set up in Chandigarh to meet the requirements of the student community. He also promised to get pension scheme released for PU employees. Mr Sharma also promised to get the income tax limit raised to Rs 1 lakh. Mr Sharma also joined 'parbhat pheris' in Sectors 27, 28 and 29 this morning. Yesterday, he took a round of Mani Majra. In the afternoon, he addressed a rally of employees at the Sector 17 Bank Square. Last night, he addressed a combined rally of residents of Raipur Kalan, Mauli Jagran, Mauli Complex and Makhan Majra. He was presented Rs 31,000 at Mani Majra. Mr Hari Narayan Singh,
Cooperation Minister of Himachal Pradesh, addressed a
meeting of Himachalis residing in the city and urged them
to vote and support Mr Krishan Lal Sharma. |
Christians observe 'black day' CHANDIGARH, Sept 3 — Christians from Shimla-Chandigarh Diocese observed a ''black day'' here today in protest against the gruesome murder of Rev. Father Arul Dass, who was killed in Orissa yesterday, and the burning of a church in the Diocese of Balasore, Orissa. The Vicar General of the Shimla-Chandigarh Diocese, Father Thomas Anchanikal, criticised the statement of the Prime Minister in which he reportedly said '' If the state government is effective it should arrest the culprits '', has not gone down well in the community. Actually the PM should have given an assurance to the community , the Vicar General said after holding a prayer meeting at the Sector 19 church here this evening. He said the murder and burning of the church had come on the eve of the 13th parliamentary elections in the country. This once again shows that the persecution of the community will continue after the polls also.He added that the Orissa incident had sent shock waves among the Christians across the country. Father Anchanikal observed that the Christian community was aware of the passive attitude of the central and state governments in protecting the lives and properties of the minorities. Black flags were also hoisted around the church as a mark of protest. The community demanded that the culprits be brought to book at the earliest and effective steps taken to implement the law of the land. Meanwhile, in a joint
statement Mrs Irene Shear and Mr I William,Vice- Chairman
of the International Christian Education
Foundation,condemned the killing of priest in Orissa.The
need of the hour is to stop such acts,they said. |
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New courses at
vocational centre According to the club President, Mr Darshan C Mehandru, the club provides highly subsidised programmes to help these children get employment and earn money, by acquiring the necessary skills in any of the vocational programmes. He further said that these courses had been bench-marked by various technical institutions and would be conducted by experience professionals. The club is already running programmes in computers in association with the Sterlite Foundation of Mumbai, a course in nursing assistants in collaboration with the PGI, courses in tailoring and embroidery, as well as shorthand and typing. Admission forms for the course in beautician, electrical/electronic repairs, nursing assistant, and computers , are at present available at the training centre and the walk-in interviews will be held on Saturday and Monday. 56 trucks to carry poll
material The Assistant Returning Officer (ARO), Mr O.P. Popli, said the polling staff had been asked to report at the counting centre tomorrow morning. At least 56 trucks had been requisitioned to carry the election material and the polling staff to the respective polling stations. As many as 820 employees had been deputed at 205 polling stations in the Kharar Assembly segment. Mr Popli said the booths which had been declared hyper sensitive were at Kurrda, Kurdi, Kumbhra, Bedagoan, Khudan and Sekhan Majra. The sensitive booths were at Phase XI, Sohana, Bhabhat, Manauli and Karuan. He said 16 supervisor officials — 10 for polling stations in the rural areas and six for polling stations in the urban areas — had been deputed. The Superintendent of Police, SAS Nagar, Mr B.S.Randhawa, said at least five police personnel headed by a Sub-Inspector had been deputed in each sensitive polling booth. Observer meets CTYCC leaders A press note issued after the meeting said that all issues were resolved and all the CTYCC workers and office-bearers vowed to work for strengthening the hands of Mrs Sonia Gandhi under the leadership of Mr Chander Mukhi Sharma. BSP candidate holds rallies Various problems projected before him by residents of these areas pertained to erratic supply of power, water, poor condition of roads, sanitation and problems related to non-extension of lal dora of villages. Mr Dhiman promised to solve all these problems after his election and said that he and his party were committed to work for the welfare of the poor, the downtrodden and villagers and make Chandigarh a neat and clean city for all sections of society. He also addressed election rallies in Dhanas, Behlana, Dadu Majra and Birail villages where the electorate promised to support his candidature. Purses presented to Bimla Sapna Meanwhile, Mr Dilbagh Singh Saini, candidate of the Ajeya Bharat Party, while addressing an election rally in the Industrial Area here, said that more than 50 per cent of industrial units in the country were sick due to high rate of interest. Mr Saini said that all major political parties had already been tried by the people who must give Ajeya Bharat Party a chance to run the country, he added. ‘Probe liquor use’ Addressing a press conference here, Mr Kansal alleged that liquor was being distributed liberally by the two parties, particularly in the labour colonies. Similarly, supporters of the rival parties, including the Lok Shakti, were being offered monetary allurements, he alleged. Demanding a high-level inquiry into the confiscation of a truck laden with liquor in the Industrial Area yesterday, he wanted that the party to whom the truck belonged should be disqualified from contesting the poll. RRD claims support of voters This was stated by Lieut-Gen B.S. Randhawa, a spokesperson of the dal, while interacting with mediapersons here today. He said the support was beyond its expectations and it would leave no stone unturned in giving a fight to their rivals. Stressing that the party stood for discipline and probity in public servants, he said they had years of discipline and a sense of patriotism for the country which was lacking in the present political leaders. Corruption and lack of accountability were the biggest challenges before them. He also said that the All-India Prajavaris Conference and the Masih Samaj had extended their support to them and their candidate. Mr Samuel Bhatti, President of the samaj, said they had nearly 10,000 voters in the city and its vicinity. He said it was high time that the men of the uniform be given a chance to run the affairs of the country. The Pind Bachao Committee, comprising members from 22 villages of the city, have also extended its support to the party. Today, public meetings
were addressed by Colonel Singh at the Mani Majra motor
market, Ram Darbar and Badheri village. |
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